I'll Always Remember you
by poetsheart
Summary: Born under the rare alignment of the planets, Maria has never been a “normal” girl. When the orphanage she works at is attacked by creatures from hell, her life makes a drastic turn into the world of paranormal.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Hellsing Just my character.

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Maria Cantello was not an ordinary girl. Since her birth, the powers that had manifested with in her were a constant testament to her strange birth. It had been a long fourteen hours of labor for her mother and it seemed that the doctors could do nothing to force the labor. Ms. Cantello feared that her baby daughter would be lost if they didn't do something soon. As she sat up in her bed, trying to relieve some of the pain, she looked out the window and noticed something strange. Nine bright lights in the sky where lined up in a perfect alignment. The nurse followed her gaze and smiled.

"Tis the night when all the planets are in perfect synchronization." She said.

"I didn't know that." Was all Ms. Cantello could say.

More hours passed and each one brought on a new wave of agony. She closed her eyes and prayed to how was ever out there to help her get through this labor, and to let her daughter live. No sooner had she prayed the prayer, her body began to spasm. The doctors rushed in to help her and all went black. When she awoke, the same nurse was standing at her bed side with a frown on her face.

"What has happened? Where is my daughter?" she asked frantically.

"She is fine…the strangest thing happened when she was born. As soon as the doctor cut the chord, a blue light emitted from your daughters body and it felt as if the earth stood still. It was probably a trick of the lights." The nurse added quickly.

But this story is not about Maria's strange birth nor about the fact that her mother died when she was nine, but about the strange life she was about to lead shortly after her nineteenth birthday. She was sitting behind the banister on the balcony in the orphanage center in England. She had not been able to sleep. The night fading into early mourn felt ominous. A dark presence was about to enter her life she could feel it. She told her self that there was no reason to be afraid, but the irrational fear began to overwhelm her mind. As she sat there and watched the hours pass, the pressure in her chest continued to build.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps reached her ears. Just then, a dark silhouette of a large man appeared in the door way she was now facing. She froze, unsure of what to do. His deep voice cut through the silence.

"Oh, lookie here! Your such a pretty little thing, it's a shame I'm gonna kill you lovely." He said.

Maria merely glanced his direction and pushed out at him with her mind. His eyes widened when he was thrown off balance and into the wall behind him. She pushed again and he was thrown through the air and over the balcony she was sitting at. She didn't even look up when she heard his body hit the ground with an audible splat.

She could hear screaming on the lower floor and she quickly began to walk in that direction. A low growing sound reached her ears and she looked to her left to see Ms. Bently slouched over, clutching her head. But Maria knew something was not right, her sixth sense was going over the deep end, warning her that danger was near. As the Bently approached her, she saw that the woman's eyes were glowing and several pieces of skin and bone were missing. What ever she had become, it was no longer human. Maria pushed out with her mind and struck the creature, sending it in to the closed door. But this thing only shook it off and stood back up. _Time to try something else._ She thought.

Gathering up her energy, she located this things life force and began to mold it into a ball inside it's body. Once she had that accomplished, she pushed with her mind and ignited it. The creature exploded into ash. A faint clapping noise reached her ears and she turned. For a moment, all she could see was glowing eyes, but then the man stepped into the light. He was easily seven foot tall, and she had to crane her neck up to see him. He was clad in all red with white gloves with strange symbols.

"Impressive, I have rarely seen such power in such a young person." He said.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Some vampires had decided that this would be the perfect place to stop for a bight to eat. You are the only person I have seen that is still alive in this place."

She considered that for a moment and then sighed. "What now?" she asked.

"What, no denial no screaming? No running away?" he sounded amused.

"Should I run?" she asked.

When he didn't answer she continued walking to the stairs that lead to the first floor. He followed her silently, keeping alert of any threats. Seras had pretty much cleaned up the second floor by now and he had taken care of the top floor. The fact that this girl had managed to survive amazed him, but at the same time, he had seen her power and knew she was not a girl to reckon with. They stopped at the landing between the floors, and she surveyed the scene in front of her. There were troops every where and a tall woman with long blonde hair seemed to be giving the orders. The woman spotted Maria on the landing and made her way to her. The red man was standing at her side, when the blonde woman reached her.

"Who is this?" Blondie asked.

"I didn't get her name."

"Maria Cantello, and you two are?" she asked.

"I am Integra Hellsing, this is my servant, Alucard. How did you survive?"

"I…I am not normal. I would love to explain, but it looks as if that man over there is looking for you." Maria said, pointing behind her.

"Damn him," Integra muttered, "Alucard, get her back to the manor, I will be there shortly." And with that she left.

Alucard shrugged and offered Maria his arm. She cocked her eyes brow at him, but took it any way. At swirl of darkness engulfed them and Maria closed her eyes against the coldness that came with the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Hellsing. I know these chapters are short but it will be better soon, when school and finals are over. Please feel free to review but as always, please be kind.

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When she opened her eyes she could see that they were in a dimly lit office of some sort. Releasing Alucard's arm, she took a few steps forward and plopped down into a chair in front of a rather large desk. Her head began to pound as it always did after she used her powers. It was a little thing called a reverb. When she used her abilities, a portion of her power was reflected off of the person, thing, or whatever she attacked and hit her. She rubbed her temples and put her head down to stop the rushing of blood to her head. Alucard watched her with interest while he waited for his masters' return. No doubt Integra was having a bit of trouble at this moment. The man that had arrived on scene was none other than the new director of Section 13. That little worm always had a habit of showing up where he was no wanted.

They continued to wait and after about thirty minutes, the office door opened and Integra walked in a huff.

"Damn him." She muttered before taking a seat behind her desk. "So, Ms. Cantello, what were you saying before we were so rudely interrupted?" she asked, pulling out a cigar and lighting it.

"You had asked how I survived the attacks on the orphanage. I am no stranger to the abnormal as I have never been normal per say. I have some odd abilities including teleportation and….other things that I can't quit explain."

"Does any one else know of your abilities?" Integra asked.

"My mother knew before she died that I was different. She said something about the planets being aligned at the exact moment of my birth and such. It was a long time ago; I was very young when she said this. She died when I was five and I was a member of the orphanage until I was seventeen and then I work for the company until now."

Integra was silent for a time, contemplating what she should do. She turned to Alucard and had him explain everything he saw Maria do. Once that was done, she sat back in her chair and examined the girl very closely. Finally, she spoke.

"How old are you Maria?" she asked quietly.

"I am 19."

"Have you ever had experience fighting ghouls and vampires before?"

"No. I did not know that they even existed until this night."

Integra looked a little surprised and said, "I have never met someone who takes news like this so well. You don't seem in the least disturbed."

"I take everything in stride. I have to as my life has never been peaceful. I would go insane if I did otherwise."

"A very good answer," Alucard said from behind her, "Master, she may be of some use to us. Our numbers are short."

"You don't think I know that?" Integra snapped. She then sighed and readjusted the eye patch covering her left eye. "The damn Nazi's drained our men substantially. It won't be very long before Hellsing no longer exists, but until my last breath we will continue the fight."

"Well spoken, my master." He said with a mocking bow.

Maria was not sure what to make of this but she stayed silent. Of course she had heard of the battle that had taken place in London but she had not known that it had been this organization that had put an end to it. Nor did she know the details as she was not part of the generation that had bore witness to it and the media was all hush, hush about it. Although she was curios, she knew that now was not the moment to bring up her questions. She waited to hear what Integra would say.

"Have you had any combat training?" she asked suddenly.

Maria smiled slightly and shook her head no. "Unless you count the punks I have had to run off our property or the few break ins I have dealt with." She said.

"Hmm," Integra looked her up and down with her good eye and then glanced at Alucard. "Alucard can train you if you are willing to join us in our fight."

"And what exactly do you do?" Maria asked.

Integra told her what her organization was for and the tasks they performed. She learned of the Knights of the Round Table and about section 13. Maria took this all in and sat there in silence for a time before she spoke.

"I would be living here if I chose to join you, correct?" she asked.

"Yes, of course. I'll have a room in the house prepared for you." Integra said.

"And these assignments will be to take out creatures like the ones that attacked the orphanage?'

"Yes."

"Then count me in."

Before Integra could respond, a man burst through the door in a frantic manor. He began stumbling through his words but Maria was able to gather that another orphanage not twenty miles from the one she grew up in and worked at was. As Integra began to make calls and give orders, Alucard bent over her and whispered,

"You up for this? It would be good training."

"Yea, sure, why not." She muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

_I __do not own so leave me alone. ha ha i made a funny! ;) Review please! tell me what you like and don't like so I can work on it!

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_Oh this mission will be easy; you won't even need a gun for this. Ha-ha the jokes on me apparently._ Maria thought as round after round of ghouls exploded in her face. Alucard had insisted that she only use her powers to take down the horde they were currently facing. Whatever the reason, she could see that it would take them twice as long to defeat this group as it would be if she had some sort of weapon to fight with. Alucard's mechanical laughter was ringing in her ears and the sound of round after round of his gun going off wasn't helping either. She stood by his side and concentrated on decapitating her enemies from the inside out.

"No, one at a time is not enough, broaden your sense and take out multiple targets." He said close to her ear.

"I have never done that before, honestly, I would not even know were to begin." She argued.

"How do you do it on one target?" he asked, shooting another ghoul through the heart.

"I focus on their life force and then build it up inside them. When it is as big as it needs to be, I set it on fire so to speak and it ignites.'

"Then focus on a groups life forces and do the same." He said.

"I'll try." She muttered.

She concentrated and located a small group to her left. She could feel their life forces hovering around their bodies. She was suddenly struck by and inspiration. She imagined several balls of life forming inside the creature's chests. As the glow enveloped their hearts, they began to move even slower and claw at themselves. She then pushed a portion of her life force into the balls and ignited them. Like a swim team, they exploded into dust, one by one.

"That's fine," Alucard said, "but that too to long. If I hadn't been here, you would have been mulled before you had time to focus."

"So sue me ass hole. I told you I have never done this before." She snapped.

"Watch you language girl. I don't take well to being called names."

"Then don't act like one." She muttered.

"fine then, your on your own." And with that he disappeared.

_Shit. _She thought. The ghouls began to close in on her. She ran from them and rounded the hall way. There where several doors all around and she was not sure if she should go into one of the rooms or continue running. She decided that if she ran into a room she would be trapped with no where to run, so she quickened her pace down the hall way. A set of stairs was in front t of her and she shot up them with a speed she did not know she had. At the top of the stairs was a set of large double doors. She smiled when she had another idea. The ghouls were not far behind her. She opened the doors and stepped inside. She paused for a second to look around at the large ball room she had just entered. _Wow._ She thought. But she did not have time to enjoy the view. Turing back to the double doors, she began to locate the life source with in the door. Anything that has or had a life source was hers to control. Plant life sources were easier to work with that a human one but this one was hard to locate. The wood on the door must have been very old. That meant she would have to expend her life force more than she had planned. But that was something she could not change now, she was cornered. She pushed the life force she could use into the doors and rolled it together with the last remaining life from the wood. An electric current shot out of her hands and connected with the door. She stood back panting. A loud series of growls sounded and then a loud bang resounded in the room. She knew she had over done it when she was thrown through the air from the blast she had created. She closed her eyes expecting to hit a wall but was surprised when she was stopped in mid-flight. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Alucard had her by the waist.

"Not bad," he said leering down at her, "You took down all but three of them." He promptly took care of that issue.

"Thanks, but you are going to have to carry me out of here, the reverb will hit me soon and this one will be a dozy." She said.

Sure enough, as soon as the words left her mouth, her body shuddered and convulsed. Her eyes rolled back in her head and soft whispers of moans escaped her. He held her up against him until the worst of them passed. When she came to, he was tsking at her. With as much dignity as she could muster, she pushed away from him and stood on her own two shaky legs.

"Pull yourself together, we are not done here. There's still the freak to take care of." He said.

"Oh goodie." She said, "I think I will stay here, I can't walk right now. The freak is your problem."

A dark laughter filled the air. Maria glanced around to find its source. Sitting on the bench seat of the grand piano under the window was a man dressed in a dark suit. His matted brown hair brushed his knuckles as he stood up. _Damn he's ugly._ She thought. Alucard raised his gun to fire, but the freak didn't look the least bit disturbed. Faster than she could see, it closed in on Alucard and knocked him backwards. Both men grunted when they hit the ground and began to attack each other with a ferocity that made Maria's knees quake. Alucard ripped at the freaks face while the freak retaliated with several punches to the gut. The silver gun was lying at Maria's feet. She picked it up and examined it.

"Shoot him girl." Alucard growled.

"I have never shot a gun!"

"No better time to learn."

"I'll miss or hit you."

"I will be fine. Aim down the muzzle of the gun and aim for his heart. Do it!"

He ordered as he continued to wrestle with the freak.

Maria took a deep breath and did as he told her. She gazed down the barrel of the gun and took aim. **Aim an inch from where you see the barrel pointed at.** Alucard's voice filled her head and she shuddered but did as he said. **Ease the safety off but don't let your eyes leave the target. Good, now pull the damn trigger.** She squeezed the trigger and rocked back from the force of the blast. But she hit her mark and the freak crumbled into dust. With a shaky voice she asked,

"You could have killed him with out my help, why didn't you?"

"It was good training for you. The more danger you're in, the less time you have to think, although you still took too damn long."

"Sorry." She muttered handing the gun back to him.

She had something more snippy to say but she needed him to carry her out of there, her legs where not going to hold up for much longer. He took in her condition and picked her up. Once outside, he put her into the van that had come for them and got in. the ride back to Hellsing was quiet, which was good because Maria had a pounding headache. She barely remembered being carried into the house and before they reached the office, she was fast asleep.

Alucard followed Integra to the room Maria would be sleeping in. Once inside he placed her sleeping form on the bed and they left her there to rest. It was about seven in the morning, the time he usually turned in, when he heard Maria screaming. He was in her room a moment later ready for a fight, but found that she was only having a nightmare. He reached down to wake her up but was surprised when she grabbed him and pulled him forward. He caught himself on the side of her bed and chuckled when he saw that she was still asleep. Her grip on his hand was like a steel vice, but her cries had stopped. He wrenched his hand out of her grip and she began to immediately whimper. He placed his index finger on her forehead experimentally, and she quieted again. **That's interesting.** He thought. The sun was just peaking over the horizon so he closed her window drapes and laid on top of the covers next her. She became quiet and still again. **That is very interesting. **


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Hellsing. Please review!

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Maria opened her eyes and blinked a few times to clear them. A glance at her alarm clock told her it was five thirty. _I slept all day?_ She wondered in amazement. It had been a long time since she had slept for over three hours in a day. _The reverb must have been bad._ She sat up and stretched, yawing widely. She made to put her hand down on the bed, but jerked it back up with a yelp. Quickly, she flipped on her light to reveal that Alucard was in her bed.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" she yelled.

He grumbled in his sleep and rolled away from her and continued sleeping. She promptly pushed him out of the bed. At least that was what she meant to do but as soon as she pushed him, he grabbed her and pulled her with him. They both ended up on the floor with Maria on top of him. He had his eyes open when she looked up at him and he was grinning.

"Normally the man's on top but if that's how you want it…"

"You…arrrrg!"

She pushed her self up and away from him uttering curses. He laughed at her and stood up to his full height.

"What are _you _doing here?" She growled pointing at him.

"You didn't want me to leave." At her puzzled look he continued, "You were screaming so I came in to check on you. You grabbed me and would cry every time I tried to leave, so I stayed."

"Bullocks!"

"I assure you it's not." He said.

She shook her head, not sure what to make of that and began to get ready for the day. After showering, pulling on some clothes and slapping on some make-up, she stepped into her room, fully intent on sitting on her bed and putting on her shoes. But you know who was still there.

"What do you want?" she grumped.

"I'm supposed to train you remember?" he said.

"And you have to wait in my room because?"

"Because I can." Was all he said.

She mumbled something unintelligible and sat down to get her shoes on. He watched her go through the process in silence. She winced when she tried to lean over to tie her shoes. He knelt in front of her and tied them for her. He grinned at her bewildered expression and offered her a hand to help her stand up.

"You're still hurting." He observed.

"Thank you for pointing that out captain obvious."

"Now, do you have to be that way?" he asked with a pretend pout.

She rolled her eyes, barely suppressing a smile. Ignoring his hand, she stood up and wavered a little, before walking to the door. He followed her out and actually walked up the stairs for a change. He silently took the lead and they were soon out in the outside shooting range. He then looked her over in a calculating manor before selecting a gun from the outside closet. He balanced the Glock in his hand for a minute before handing it to her. He then waved her forward and she stood where he told her to. He placed the gun in her hands and showed her how to hold it.

"You'll start with holding the gun in two hands, after you get used to the weight and the kick of the gun, we'll try it with one hand." He said.

The target she was supposed to hit was about a hundred feet away. She aimed like he told her and pulled the trigger. Her hands only bounced a little bit, but her mark was way off, she didn't even hit the target. Alucard shook his head. His hands went over her little ones as he directed and aimed the gun for her. He let go and told her to pull the trigger. This time she hit the target but was no where near the place she was supposed to hit. They spent about thirty minutes practicing before she finally hit the target in the center of the bulls eye. Her arms had grown tired of holding the gun and she was more than happy to set it down when he told her too.

"Now," he said with a grin, "Let's work on that little ability of yours shall we?"

"How can we do that? There is nothing to practice on." She said.

"Oh contraire, there are plenty of targets, look around."

There were several trees around but that was it. She then realized that he wanted her to blow up the trees.

"I don't think Sir Integra will be very happy if I destroy her property." She said.

"Hmm, true. Well then, only one thing to do, practice on me."

"Are you crazy?"

"There is still a debate on that subject. You can't kill me, so who better to practice on? Besides, you need to get faster at taking out a target. The better you get with one target, the better you will be with taking out multiple targets."

"You are nutty." she muttered.

"Pay close attention now." He said, before he attacked.

She stepped back quickly to avoid being hit by him. He continued on his rampage while she struggled to concentrate on the task at hand. She was backhanded in the jaw and sent flying. The world spun and she avoided being stomped on by an inch. He yelled at her to fight him, laughing like a child at Christmas. In a bout of anger, her essence flew into his body, seized his life force and ignited it, all with in the matter of seconds. He stopped, his eyes growing wide as he exploded. Chunks of his body flew ever where and Maria was worried she had over did it. But when bats began to swarm the area and his shape began to form again, she just sat against the wall and watched. It was an incredible thing to behold, and she couldn't take her eyes off of it. He began to cackle and she shuddered at the sound.

"Very good. However, I was holding back on you, your opponents will not. Be prepared to take a lot of punches if you continue to move so slowly." He said.

"I'll try to remember that." She muttered.

Her head was spinning, but the reverb didn't take her out as it had the night before. That didn't make sense because she had just unleashed an enormous amount of energy; she should be on her knees at this point. _I must be building up immunity. _She thought. She must have spoken out loud because Alucard looked at her questioningly.

"I never used my power more than once in a month span. Maybe by using it more I will build up a tolerance to the reverb effect." She said.

"That may very well be. Ahh, Integra is calling me, we should go."

Before she could protest, he grabbed her up and transported them to the office. Integra looked up expectantly.

"Maria, good. I have just received information on the group that attacked the orphanages. We maybe able to find them soon. Tomorrow night I will dispatch you and Alucard to take out this group. Seras will go with you as well. As for tonight, what you do is your choice." She waved them out of her office as a way of dismissal. Maria decided that she would go to the library as she need to rest and maybe there was a good book in there. Alucard followed her and she did her best to ignore him. Once inside, she looked around the room and walked from shelve to shelve. Alucard sat on the couch with his feet up on the table and watched her over his glasses. Finally she turned and said

"What?"

"What, what?"

"You know what!"

"Just looking, no harm in that." He said innocently.

"You're creeping me out."

"And why is that?"

"Just stop it."

"Make me."

At this point he had stood up and was looming over her. His black hair mingled with her hair which was a shade darker than his. She glared at him, her green eyes reflecting the light of the overhead light. She put two hands on his chest and pushed him back. He let her with an amused expression on his face. Being very uncomfortable, she asked him the first question that popped in her mind.

"Why do you wear those?"

He pulled his glasses off and held them out to her.

"Try them on and see."

He was still grinning as she took them gingerly and placed them on her face. She gasped in wonder and then jerked them off.

"What did you see?" he asked sitting down again.

"I saw…a glow that surrounded you…is that your chi or something?" she asked.

"Yes," he held out his hand for them and took them, "With these I am able to see the supernatural around me. While I can sense them just fine, sometimes it is hard to pinpoint were the source is."

"Where did you get them?" she asked.

"I created them. I willed them into existence." He said.

"Cool." She said with a tone of sincerity in her voice.

A scream broke through their conversation and both heard Integra's distressed cry.

**"Alucard!" **


	5. Chapter 5

I am sorry this is so short, ill do better next time. Please please please review! I want to know what you guys think of this story and how i can imporve it. I do not own hellsing, but i think you know that by now.

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"**Alucard!"**

They both flew through the doors and up to Integra's office. Alucard hit the closed doors with enough force to knock a Rhino out but the doors didn't budge. Integra cried out again, this time her voice was weaker. They both preceded to shoot the door, but the bullets just bounce off. Alucard couldn't phase through the door so Maria gathered up the remaining energy she had and blew the door off its hinges. At least that is what she tried to do. The force bounced off the door and hit her hard enough to knock her out. As darkness swam behind her eyes, she heard a loud crunch and a roar of utter fury.

Maria groaned as she opened her eyes, the bright lights in the room assaulted her sensitive eyes. Alucard was leaning over her frowning.

"Good, you're awake. I thought you would be dead for sure. You barely pulled out of that one." He said.

"Is Sir Integra alright? What happened?" she gasped from the pain.

Her whole stomach was bandaged up and burned like hell. She looked over at him expectantly.

"I don't know how the bastard did it, but some how the freak got into her office with out me sensing him. He attacked her and left her almost completely drained of blood."

"Wait, What? She's a vampire now?" Maria exclaimed in worry.

"No, No nothing like that. He cut her neck with her knife to suck the blood out of her, he also broke so many bones that she had to go to the royal hospital. This place was not able to take care of her injuries properly. She will be out of commission for a while."

"How come we couldn't get through the door? My magic was rebounded against me. What the hell did he do?" she asked.

"It was a very powerful spell. This one was very old. He is very verse in his dark arts. I have not seen anything like it in a long time. Your stomach was badly burned and you will need skin graphs."

She groaned at this news. She hated hospitals and doctors alike. It reminded her of death. Not many knew that she was terrified of death, so she tended to avoid places that reminded her of it at all costs. She lay back down on her pillow and a thought flitted through her head.

"Hey, who is in charge with Integra gone?" she asked.

"I was wondering when you would ask me that. The queen has taken upon Integra's word that you are now officially in charge of the Hellsing organization in her absence. As such, I am to obey your orders."

"Me?" she asked in wonder. "Why me?"

"Who knows?" he growled.

She suppressed a giggle. He was not happy with the fact that he had to obey her commands now. She bit her lip and looked around the hospital room with interest. The bed she was on was on the opposite side of the door. A heart monitor to her left was beating steadily, although it did skip a few beats at time. She had had a heart murmur for as long as she could remember. She often wondered if it had to do with her strange birth. When she looked back at Alucard, he was standing by her bed with a grim look on his face. He bowed half way to her and grinned slightly.

"Your orders?"

"Um, well, you could get me out of here. I have no idea where the doctor is and I really don't want to be here."

He located the doctor for her and she was unhooked and given warnings about her condition. She waved them off and made Alucard take her to her room so she could change. He waited outside the bathroom while she slipped into her white cotton dress. It was a little too big for her, but she was trying to avoid having her cloths rub in her skin. She stepped out into the room and started walking to her door. Alucard stopped her and whisked her into Integra's office. He set her down gently and she thanked him. Just as she sat down at the desk, the phone rang. When she picked up, the man on the line revealed him self as Sir irons. He knew of the arrangement that had been made and asked her to meet them at his house at eight. It was seven now. Maria agreed.

"A meeting with the round table, interesting." He said, drifting closer to her."

"Hmm. I will need you to come with me Alucard. I don't know how Integra would handle some situations and I want you there to help me decided correctly. But, tell me the truth, do you hear? I don't want to be lied to and I certainly don't want to make a mistake. So please be on your best behavior."

"What ever you wish." He said mockingly.

She sighed. It was going to be a very long night..


	6. Chapter 6

Alrighty! There you go, a long chapter. Any way, please review if you get the chance! And to my two reviwers, I love you!

I do not own Hellsing.

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The round table conference was not that big of a deal as Maria thought it would be. All the old men did was bitch and moan about stupid things such as the budget and the overflow of vampire crime rates. She really shouldn't have bothered Alucard by making him come with her. There was nothing much to discus. At the end of the meeting they all shook hands and welcomed her to the team for the time being. Maria promised to keep them up to in the know of what was going on. She had all their numbers handy in case she needed any advice or had any questions. She doubted that she would need to use them as she had Alucard, but she tucked them into her wallet all the same. She returned to the Hellsing manor by car, while Alucard zipped himself there using his shadows. He was sitting in the office when she returned with his feet up on the desk and his hat pulled over his eyes. Walking around him, she sat down at the desk and looked at the rather large pile of documents that needed to be sorted through. Sighing, she picked one report up and began to read. After two hours she had sorted them out from the most urgent to the least and she sat back at the desk and stretched. Alucard had not moved a muscle that entire time. It was midnight and Maria had never been more tired in her life. The pain of her burned skin was not helping her either. Just as she was about to get up and leave, the phone rang.

"Hellsing, Maria speaking."

"Where is Sir Integra?" a rather rude man replied.

"She is not available at this time. I am the acting director of Hellsing. What can I help you with?"

"There is a rampage occurring in the town of Delight. We believe it requires your agencies skills. We sent in two units to subdue a suspect who murdered entire families with in a matter of a few nights. But the units never came back. We then sent in another unit and they were attacked by the first two units of men. They were described as gruesome and inhuman."

"We will be there as soon as possible. Do not send any one else in, do you hear me? That would be very problematic."

"I understand." He said.

When she hung up the phone she immediately called for a helicopter to be made ready for her. Alucard was now peering at her from underneath his hat.

"Alucard, go and find this freak and eliminate him. I will meet you there."

She threw him a radio so that he could keep in contact with her. He smiled hugely and bowed before he disappeared.

**12:20am city of Delight**

By the time Maria had arrived, the entire police force included the man that had called her was slaughtered. It seemed that he had underestimated the danger. She quickly dispatched three units of soldiers to take care of the ghouls before they spread further. When she tried to contact Alucard via radio, she found the connection had gone dead. Now she was very worried. What if something had happed to him? Seras, his fledgling was down on the "battle" felid so she contacted her instead.

"Seras, come in, over."

"Ms. Maria?" she answered.

"Sears, can you contact Alucard via some sort of telekinesis? I can't get a hold of him and I am worried."

"Yes I can, hold on, over."

"Ms Maria," Seras said after a few minutes, "Alucard's radio broke. He is fine and is just finishing off the vampire as we speak."

"Good. I can see you guys are almost done as well."

"Yes. I will let you know when it is safe to land." Seras said.

"Roger."

Maria sat back against the seat and directed the pilot to keep circling. When she received the okay, she had him land the air craft and she got out. Alucard was already there, standing beside Seras. The breeze blew Marias dress around her body as she walked and she winced when it rubbed against her stomach.

"You're a vision in white my dear." Alucard said with a leer.

"Knock it off. I take it that the situation is stabilized correct?"

"Yes it is. I am touched by your concern by the way." He said.

When she blushed and looked a way he quirked an eyebrow at her. She ignored him and ordered the crew to clean up and return to the head courtiers. When Maria returned to the office she quickly wrote her report and filed it in the cabinet so that Sir Integra would be able to see it when she got back. Each of the soldiers filled out theirs and turned them in accordingly. Finally at four in the morning, Alucard handed her his report as well. She filed it away and yawned widely.

"Tired?" he asked

"No, I am just tiring to get some extra air in my lungs. What do you think?"

"Now, now, no need to get snippy. You did a good job to day, almost as well as Integra. How did it feel to take command and have the blood of all those poor souls on your hands? Did you feel the blood rushing as you ordered the men to slaughter those creatures? Did the power of ordering a monster around make you feel the ecstasy of entitlement?"

He was leaning over her again and grinning madly. She stepped back from him and glared. He started to laugh and soon he was doubled over. Maria did not know what Integra did in this kind of situation so she just walked past him. He snagged her from behind and pulled her too him. She could feel his arousal and gasped when he moved against her slightly. Her anger grew and she pulled away from him with all her might. A flash of pain send her head reeling when he tightened his grip.

"Let me go now!" she demanded.

He laughed and released her. In a puff of smoke he was gone and she groaned as her body shook from the pain. She knew that is was going to be an awkward meeting the next time they spoke but she was determined not to let him get away with this. The nerve he had! Did he do this to Integra?? She was certain that he did not as his bonds would not let him. Her frustration grew as she walked down the halls to her room. After taking a shower and rubbing the ointment on her stomach, she laid down in her bed, careful not to move against her sensitive skin. Just as she was drifting to sleep, she felt him enter her room.

"What do you want Alucard?" she asked with out looking at him.

"Your still in pain." He observed.

"No shit." She muttered.

"I can help you with that." He said a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Oh," she said, opening her eyes to glair at him, "And just how can you do that?"

She wished she hadn't asked him that and had told him to leave. In a single second he was on the bed next to her and her shirt was pulled up to reveal her wounds. She jerked in surprise when his hands traveled over the flesh. The pain dulled into a slight tingling sensation. Soon, all she could feel was his gloved hands running over her stomach. She sat up and looked down in amazement. The wounds were gone!

"What did you do?" she asked.

"I healed you." He said simply.

"Why didn't you do it sooner?" she asked.

He quirked his eye brow at her and she controlled her blush by a bear thread. She pulled her shirt back down and mumbled thanks before asking him to leave. He laughed loudly as he left her presence. As she was drifting off to sleep, she wondered how she had become so attracted to him. He was certainly handsome to be perfectly honest and when he wanted to, he could be very charming. But he also had a violent and crazy streak that would normally deter her from wanting to…be with him. She groaned in her hands at the thought and pushed it away as quick as she could. While she slept, two large red eyes watched her from the shadows, a soft chuckle echoed in the room, before he disappeared and left the girl to her slumber.


	7. Chapter 7

Thank You for the four reviews so far. I like to get feed back so if you read this please tell me what you think about it.

Heads up: Rape theme so if you are offended by this don't read it.

I do not own Hellsing.

* * *

The events of the night before had left her exhausted and she did not wake up until 12pm the next day. When she discovered the time, she cursed and quickly got ready for the day. She wore her black dress pants that she hardly ever needed to wear as well as a red dress shirt and black jacket. Looking in the mirror, she laughed quietly as she realized who she looked like. _With a floppy hat and tie I would look like his little sister. _She thought. But seeing as she did not own very much business like ensembles she figured it would have to do. Running a brush through her hair, she walked to the office and let her self in. the desk was pilled high with reports and she rolled her eyes as she took a seat and sorted through them. A solider brought her the mail at around 3pm and she was grateful for it. She could take a break from the reports and sort through the mail. Most were bills and some personal things for Integra so she set those aside. She would have to go visit Integra if they let her, so she could get the paying of the bills coming due squared away. She decided to wait until Alucard was up to go. Thinking of him brought a blush to her cheeks. She liked him, there was no doubt in her mind now about that and it seemed that on some degree, he liked her too. That or he just got his kicks out of making her squirm. It was probably a combination of both. But he had healed her, and that was good because she didn't want to have to get skin grafts. Then another thought crossed her mind, but she put it on hold. _I'll ask him when he gets up. Maybe I should be making a list. _She chuckled at that last thought. Nothing in the mail warranted her attention so she turned back to the reports. There was little else she could do other than sort through them, but she made a list of each report along with a brief description of each so that she could give it to Integra to look over. The day flew by quickly and it was as she was eating a sandwich at the desk when Alucard made his appearance. He slinked through the wall and came to a stop at the desk.

"Good evening." He said, tipping his hat slightly.

"Hello, sleep well?" she asked politely.

"Like the dead."

"Listen, I have to ask you," she paused but at the quirk of his eye brow she continued, "Why can't you fix Sir Hellsing the way you fixed me?"

He smiled and explained. "The bond I have to the Hellsing family does not allow me to use any of my magic against them. Even if it is "helpful" to them. Besides, Integra has too much pride to allow me to do that."

"Ahh. At any rate, I will be visiting Sir Integra to day, would you like to come along? There is not much to do her that requires you to stay. I'll have Seras keep watch here and contact me if she needs you." She said.

Thirty minutes later they where at the royal hospital walking to Integra's room. The smell of smoke reached their noses so they knew that she was awake. Integra looked up at them and seemed relived to see them.

"Thank goodness. I thought it was another doctor wanting to poke me with a needle." She said.

"Not needles but I do have a summery of the reports I have received over the last few days."

"Thank you. Is Alucard behaving?"

"He could be better." Maria said shooting him a glare.

Alucard just grinned and took a seat close to Integra. He filled her in on the incident that took place the night before. Integra was impressed with Marias ability to handle the situation and gave her a moment of praise before considering the brief report Maria had handed her. Before long, Integra grew antsy having smoked her last cigar out of the box and asked Maria if she would run down to the gas station and get her some more. Maria agreed and left the master and servant to discuss certain matters.

The air was crisp and cool as Maria made her way to the gas station across the street from the hospital. She had Integra's credit card in her pocket. She had directed Maria to make any purchase she needed off of that card as well as to pay the bills on line with it. As she crossed the street it seemed as if the temperature dropped a few degrees. _I should have driven._ She thought. The station was very dimly lit as was the inside of the store. A single teenager behind the counter was running the place. His nose was buried in a porn magazine. He looked up at her and zeroed in on her ample chest with a leer. She was used to people starring at her so she ignored him and asked for some cigars. They came in five packs so she bought four. He was still starring at her chest when he handed her the change. She sighed in disgust as she existed the building, very aware that he was watching her from behind. She could see that a gang of motorcyclist had just shown up at the pumps. When she got a closer look, she almost gasped out loud. They were the vampires that had attacked the orphanage. There were three men and two women laughing at some joke a tall blond had made. She moved so that she was in the shadows and listened to them talk. They were planning to hit the High Acres orphanage just ten miles south of their location. Maria knew that this was the chance she had been waiting for. Her phone was able to take pictures so she turned the sound off and took pictures of their license plates just in case one got away. _I hope the pervious owners put low jack on them._ Now it was time to leave, but she had to do it quickly and quietly. She did not want this group to spot her. Unfortunately, nothing ever went according to her plans. The tall blond man spotted her and growled. The rest of the group turned and grinned savagely at her.

"Well, well, well, what do we have her Clef?" the short Burnett woman asked.

"Well, I say I just found my snack before dinner." Clef said.

"Why do you get her?" a black haired man whined.

"Because I spotted her." Clef answered

_Well shit._ Maria thought as it appeared right in front of her. Grinning like a mad man he grabbed her by the front of the shirt. She pulled back and it ripped down the middle. Before she could make another move, he snatched her up and pulled her close. Clef bent his head and licked her exposed flesh.

"Mmm, a virgin. This will be fun. I haven't had a virgin in ages. I hope you feel as good as you taste." He said.

Her mind screamed rape! Her cloths were being ripped from her. No amount of strength she used pushed him off of her. The group was closing in to watch. _Alucard!_ She screamed with her mind, not sure if he could hear her or not. Her bra joined her shirt and he tore at her pants. _This can't be happening! I can't even move to do any thing!_ This was very true. It was like some unseen force was keeping her limbs in place. She couldn't even lift a finger in defense. Clef suckled her breasts while the other men and women drooled and began fondling each other. He trailed his mouth down to her waist line and unbuttoned her pants with his teeth. She turned her head way as he began to rape her with his mouth. She clenched her eyes shut so that they would not see her cry. She would not give them that satisfaction. Just when she thought that there was no hope, a gun shot rang out. Two of the vampires that had been hanging all over each other fell down in a pile of ahs. Clef raised his head and growled at the shooter. Maria felt a sense of relief as Alucard made his way through the group to her side. He was not laughing, he was not smiling and he looked very pissed off. Clef released her to go fight him. As they engaged in battle, Maria pulled her pants back on and put her bra and ripped shirt back on. The battle became bloodier and bloodier. Who ever Clef was, it was positive that he was about as powerful as Alucard. He began releasing his seals so level one and Clef stood back in awe at the monster he became. Alucard was still not laughing or smiling as he would be at this point. He was, however, growling.

"You are a maggot! You do not deserve to go to even the lowest pits of hell!" Alucards' anger seemed to grow as his power rocketed up another notch. Clef was grinning and forming into a monstrosity just as Alucard did. The two unleashed so much power that Maria was having hard time breathing.

"You will not get away this time." Alucard snarled.

"I beg to differ Dracula. I got past you and got to your master and escaped, I can do it again." Clef mocked.

They fought ripping each other to pieces, regenerating and doing it again. When it became clear to Clef that there was no way he was going to win, he laughed and threw a powerful bolt of power at Maria. Alucard cursed and moved in front of her to block the blow. While he did this, Clef disappeared into a puff of smoke. Alucard's fist was clenched as he turned to face her. He took in her appearance and in a neutral voice asked if she was alright. Before he asked, Maria hadn't known that she was crying. The horror of what had happened to her hit her in that moment and she began to sob uncontrollably. He looked down at her for a moment before getting down on one knee in front of her.

"How far did he go?" he asked.

"He…he…I am still a virgin if that id what y..yyou are asking." She said between sobs.

He nodded and took off his jacket to drape it around her. Pulling it closed, he picked her up and carried her back to the car. He left her briefly so that he could talk to sir Integra and give her the cigars Maria had bought. Before long, Integra was wheeling herself to the side of the car. Maria unrolled the window.

"I am so sorry Maria." she said softly.

"It's not your fault so don't even blame your self." She said.

The ride back to the Hellsing house was longer than Maria remembered it. Her mind was in a fog and she didn't feel it when Alucard carried her too her room. He sat her on the toilet in her bathroom and turned the water on for the shower. She said and did nothing when he stripped her and put her in the tub. He washed her, dried her and put her in her pajamas. Once he slid her into bed, he lay down beside her on top of the covers and said nothing. He needn't have bothered as she was still in her own little world at the moment. She was numb and her body shook from the shock of what had happened. Before long, he sat up and leaned over her. His eyes caught hers and he commanded her body to sleep. Just before she slipped into darkness, she felt him kiss her forehead and whisper something that sounded like "I'm sorry."


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own it so leave me alone! whaaaa!

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Alucard paced outside Maria's door. It was five in the evening of the day after the attack and she was still not awake. Sears had done a fine job of keeping things afloat but Hellsing really needed a director. There was a current situation that Seras was handling, but Maria needed to be up to overseeing it. He pushed open her door and walked to the side of her bed. She grumbled something at his approach but otherwise she did not make a sound. His hand closed around her shoulder and he attempted to wake her, but she just rolled over and snored a softly. Rolling his eyes, he picked her up and set her on her feet. She groaned and turned to tuck her self into his side before promptly falling back asleep on her feet. His lips twitched in amusement when she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled closer. Carefully unwinding them he shook her by both shoulders and her green eyes popped open wearily. Suddenly realizing that she was no longer in her comfy bed she gasped and staggered back. Alucards laughter brought her fully to her sense. _Was I just cuddling him?_ She wondered. Then she saw the time and muttered an oath.

"Maria, there is a current situation in the town of Mead that requires you attention. Get dressed and I will get us there quickly." He said.

She wobbled around the room and gathered her cloths from the drawers and closet. After getting dressed in her black slacks and navy blue dress shirt, she hurried back out into the room. Her head was still spinning and her eyes stung with the tears that threatened to spill over, she shook her head hard to clear it and looked at Alucard expectantly. He paused for a minute thinking that maybe this was not such a good idea. But her current state could not be helped and the police force would expect her to be there. Her hand rested on his arm attentively and he transported them to the head quarters set up just out side of Mead. Taking a deep breath, she let her self into the covered tent and the commander looked up in surprise.

"You are Sir Hellsing?" he asked in disbelief

"No, I am Maria Cantello. Sir Hellsing is indisposed right now and she asked me to come. What is the situation as it stands now?"

"Well," he said, still a bit flustered, "The men you sent in have pretty much cleaned up the lower area of the town. The living people have been evacuated. The perpetrator of this crime has yet to reveal his or her self. Officer Victoria has already informed me that she is tracking him down and will report to you when she has eliminated the target."

"Very good." she said.

She left the tent and stood beside a very immobile Alucard. He seemed to be concentrating very hard on something. Several of the foot soldiers came up to her to let her know of the current situation and she spent about twenty minutes talking to them and issuing orders. Alucard placed his hand on her shoulder then pointed to the empty field just in front of her. Seras was walking back with her large gun over her shoulder. She waved as she got closer and announced that the target had been silenced. Both Maria and Alucard nodded their approval before Seras moved to assemble the troops. After making sure that the clean up crew had done their job, Maria sat down on a bench and rubbed her temples. It had been a long few days. Her mind swam as she did her best not to give into the fit of tears that threatened to spill over. She was still shaken from her incident from the night before. _Only fools cry._ That was her mother's favorite saying. She smiled a little at the memory and continued to stair at her hands thoughtfully. Alucard came and sat beside her, not saying a word. They sat there for a while, just gazing up at the moon. Neither of them spoke and she was grateful for that.

Back at the Hellsing house Maria was sorting through the files yet again. Her pen scratched on the paper as she made a list and report on each of them from Integra. The sense of dejavue hit her so strongly that this time all she could do was cry. Huge sobs racked her body and her shoulders trembled violently. She did not know how long she sat there and cried but it felt like eternity.

Down in the basement, Alucard watched the girl cry her heart out. He understood how she felt having gone through something similar back when he was human. The pain of the encounter he had with the ruler of the Turks was branded in his mind. While he tended to push such thoughts away, tonight they kept resurfacing. His rapist had got it in the end, he had seen to it, but Maria still had to suffer with the knowledge that hers was still out there, biding his time until he attacked again. He was determined to find this Clef and destroy him.

It may have seemed a little hypocritical considering the fact that he had sexually assaulted her him self. But at the same time, he had been joking and would never, ever force a woman to his bed against her will. He may take his jokes too far, but not that far. As he was justifying this overbearing guilt he was feeling he heard the girl stand up and start walking to the library. He phased through the ceiling to join her. The rest of the night and early morning was spent in silence, each one in there own kittle world. After Alucard went to bed, Maria stayed awake and got to work on the never ending pile of reports that had come her way. She did not know how Integra dealt with all of this. She hopped that her broken ribs and leg would heal soon so that she could take her company back over.

When Alucard woke up he could not find the girl any where he looked. Finally, he found her standing on the balcony gazing at the stars. She noticed his approach and looked at him.

"Good evening." She said.

"Good evening to you Ms Cantello." He said tipping his hat.

"There is nothing on the agenda so far tonight so I guess you get the night off to do whatever it is that you do. " she murmured.

"You need to stop dwelling on this," he said as he moved beside her, "By dwelling on it you are giving him power over you. Don't let him win that part of your soul."

"I'll try."

"I will destroy him." He said with determination.

"I get first dibs." She said darkly.

He chuckled at that and conceded it to her. Maria yawned widely but told Alucard to shove off when he told her to go to bed. She was waiting on the report from the solider she had sent out to retrieve the video tape at the gas station she had been attacked at. She was looking for any sign of where this Clef could have possibly gone. Alucard had already checked the orphanage that the group was going to attack that night and had not found a trace of him. Apparently he felt he needed a group rallied around him to be able to attack.

"Damn coward." Alucard had mutter4ed.

When the solider finally came back he had the tape in hand and an apologetic look on his face. His eyes were full of pity when he handed it to her so she knew that he had watched it. He opened his mouth to say something but promptly closed her when the vampire growled at him. Maria sat down in the office and popped it into the tape player. She fast forwarder it until she saw the motorcycles pull up. She saw herself in the shadows hunched over. She saw the vampire Clef attack her and she fast forwarded it until they where past her tape. She watched the battle between the two vampires again and paused it as Clef disappeared. Alucard asked her to rewind it and when she did he watched it again very closely. A smile spread across his face and she looked at him arching her eyes brow.

"I could see the back round of the place he transported to. He needs to call a portal up rather than just appearing there like I do. I saw a sign that said, Brunel cemetery. That is where he resides for the day." He said.

"Good. Now lets go nail his ass." Maria growled.


	9. Chapter 9

Hello everybody. Thank you for the 8 reviews so far. I like to hear feed back good or bad so click that button at the bottom of the page and let me know what you think. Just do try to be nice about it, okay?

I DO NOT OWN HELLSING!

Integra: I do.

Me: Not for long mawahaha!

Integra: Shoot her.

*runs as she is chased down by you know who*

On with the story!

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She thought as they searched the grounds. Alucard was picking up traces of Clef's trail, but he said it had grown cold. They continued to look around the grounds before Sears spotted an over turned grave stone. The ground was wide open, and looked like it had been used recently as the earth was still soft. Apparently, he dug his way into the ground and covered him self up to sleep. Alucard said it was the way they had to do it in the old days.

A cemetery, how cliché.

"Unless of course, you own a castle." He said rather smugly.

"well, damn. Now what?" Maria asked.

"Patience Maria. Some of this soil must be from his birth place or he would not be able to stay here. Meaning, that he must return here eventually to keep his strength going.

She snorted at this. She really had been looking forward to kicking his ass. Alucard caught that last thought and chuckled to him self. Feisty and entertaining did not begin to describe this girl. With a frown, and down cast face, Maria returned to the house a little angry. But she got her self to keep going by ordering guards to stake out the area and inform her immediately upon his return.

"Don't engage him," she said eyeing the captain grimly, " Wait for Alucard to get there before you make a move. This guy is not some one you want to mess with."

That being taken care of, she let out a loud sigh and settled down to look over the paperwork. The list she had complied for Integra had grown rather long so she needed to give it to her soon. Shrugging, she stood up and called for a car. It was rather late at night, but she needed to do something. But if Integra wanted smokes, she could send some one else to fetch them. The car was ready and waiting with in five minutes. Maria got in and told the driver where to go before sitting back and relaxing.

"Maria, it's good to see you. How are you doing?" Integra asked.

Maria walked over to the bed side and sat down. She smiled a small smile to assure Integra that she was doing okay.

"I'll be fine. I made another list for you."

Integra took the list and examined it closely. While she did this, Maria when off in her own little world. It was her happy place, as her mother called it and she went there whenever she was feeling down or overwhelmed. It was her way of unwinding and coming to terms with things that had been happening in her life. Integra noticed that the girls eyes were not focused and decided to let her have her peace. Alucard phased through the wall on the opposite side of Integra's bed.

"How are you feeling Integra?" he asked.

"I'll be alright, I have been in worse pain than this as you well know. I am worried about her though."

Both of them looked at Maria for a moment. She was still spaced out but twitched a little under their combined gazes.

"She will be fine after a while. She is a lot like you actually. Fiery and indomitable as ever. She just has some battle scars now." He said quietly.

"do you think she can continue doing this job?" Integra asked.

"I think she will be fine. How much longer will you be?"

"I can come back in about a week. Of course I will be in a stupid wheel chair, but I'll be back."

"I think she can hold on for that much longer."

"Any word on Maria's….attacker?"

He told her what they knew, which was not much. But at least they had a lead. At this point, Maria shook her self out of her reverie and smiled apologetically at them. Alucard grinned and Integra patted her on the hand awkwardly. The silence was uncomfortable so Maria excused herself to use the rest room. Once inside the on stall room, she sat on the floor and put her head on her knees. He breathing was heavy as she fought off a panic attack. Heart racing and body trembling all she could do was replay the event that took place in her mind. _Get a grip girl!_ She shouted at her self, but it was no use. _Calm down, just breath in and out, that's the ticket. _In side the room, Integra grew worried. The girl had been gone for over ten minutes and the bathroom was not that far away. Alucard left to go find her.

Inside the bathroom, the walls echoed with the sounds of some one gasping for air. Strong hands closed around a pale throat and the raven haired girl gagged.

"Did you think we where done you stupid girl? Your boyfriend can't save you now."

Maria raked her nails across his hands and drew blood. At this Clef grinned a grin that put Alucards crazy one to shame. He loosened his grip and she immediately gasped for air. Before he could start squeezing again she made sure she had the last word.

"My "boy friend" is strong enough to tear your ass to pieces."

"Is that so?" his grip grew tighter.

She saw stars and the world grew dim. But a flash of color gave her new hope. Alucard leaped out of the wall and threw Clef into the mirror on the opposite side.

"You place a barrier so I couldn't get in, Very impressive. But you forgot to put a barrier on the spell circle you used. All I had to do was wipe it away. How pathetic." Alucard sneered.

"Fine, you win this round, but I'll be back for you and your girl."

After making this statement smoke filled the air. When it cleared it was certain that Clef had escaped, again.

"What happened?" Alucard asked as he knelt beside her.

" I am not sure rally. He came out of nor where and before I could scream, he was choking me."

"Hmm."

He examined her neck and determined that her wind pipe was not damaged, just bruised. Even though his fingers were feather light touches on her skin, she still cringed. **Don't be a big baby.** He said in her mind. She threw up a flimsy barrier between them and he laughed.

"When did you learn that?" he asked with obvious amusement.

"Not to long ago. I hate it that you can get inside my head."

"What you prefer?" he asked cocking an eye brow.

It took her a minute to register what he meant by that comment an then she blushed. At the same time she swung at him with her fist, fully intent on hitting the bastard in the face. He dodged her laughing as she stood up and launched herself at him. This time he didn't move, he just held her away with one hand on her shoulder. Seeing that it was useless to keep trying, Maria gave up. As she walked to the door, she huffed in annoyance. A nurse giggled as she saw them both emerge from the bathroom.

"It's not what it looks like!!!!!" Maria yelled.

Alucard gave into a fit of hysterical laughter that sent the nurse scrambling for an excuse to get away. Inside her room, Integra shook her head.

After informing Integra of the situation, they left . Some where along the way, Maria fell asleep in the back of the car, her head resting on the seat. A gentle shake woke her up and she opened her eyes. A chuckle answered her startled yelp when she realized that she was laying across Alucards lap. Blushing with such intensity that it would put a fire to shame, she jumped from the car and walked quickly to the front door. He trailed not far behind her smiling. She didn't dare look at him.

"Should I be flattered by that blush?" he asked amiably

"Shove off." She muttered.

"Gladly my dear, your room or mine?"

"You wish!" she yelled.

"Tease."

"Pervert."

They bickered all the way up the stairs and to the office. Even as he opened the door for her they argued and traded barbs. They wound down as she sat down in the chair.

"You sir, are an ass." She growled.

"Feel better?" he asked, putting his feet up on the desk.

He smiled as she realized what he had been doing. To help her alleviate some of the stress, he had caused her to vent it on him in a different way. It was her turn to cock her eyebrow.

"How…uncharacteristically nice of you. "

He shrugged. "We don't need a director who can't focus on her work. It was for my benefit as much as yours."

"Well, what ever the reason, thanks." She said sincerely.

"Your welcome. Now about that blush….'

Maria threw a pen at him and he caught it easily. He continued to tease her about it and she kept throwing stuff at him when his teasing got a little…well….perverted. soon she was out of ammo.

"Now, what?" he asked. "kiss and make up?"

"Not in this life time pal. Aren't you supposed to turn in soon? It's almost morning."

"Sunlight isn't some strong foe to me. I just hate it." He said with a small snarl.

"Well then go get in your coffin then." She muttered as she shuffled through some papers.

"Care to join me?"

"Alucard!" she yelled.

His laugh echoed off the walls as he disappeared from her view. She shook her head and sighed. _What in the name of everything sain am I going to do with him? _She wondered.

**I can think of a few things…**

"Oh can it!"


	10. Chapter 10

"Integra is coming back today." Alucard said.

"Thank fucking goodness. "She muttered.

They where currently walking up the stairs from the basement level. It was four in the afternoon and Alucard was a little grumpy. About thirty minutes ago, Maria received a call from Integra saying she wanted to speak to Alucard.

"But he is asleep…" Maria began.

"Then get him up!" Integra barked.

Maria winced but switched the phone from the hand held to the cell phone by transferring the numbers. After the lengthy trip to the basement, she stopped at the doors that lead to _his_ room. When she received no answer when she knocked, she let her self in. the room was bear and the only things she could see where a table with some wine glasses a large chair and a black coffin.

"Alucard?" she asked tentatively.

She almost shrieked when the coffin lid swung open. Being about three feet from it didn't help her nerves any either. He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair before glaring at her.

"WHAT?" he demanded.

"Umm, Sir Integra is on the phone and would like to talk to you."

She moved to give him the phone but faltered in her step. The look he was giving her sent chills down her spine. He held out his hand and took the phone from her. The conversation was short but Alucard didn't look too mad or anything so Maria figured it must be alright. Once he had his hat and glasses back on, he walked past her silently to the door. When she didn't follow him he turned and said in a sarcastic tome,

"Are you coming? Or do you have other ideas…"

"I'm coming!" she said quickly.

It had been a long week and they still did not have any leads on Clef. He had not returned to the cemetery, so Alucard assumed that he had some other resting place established. She sighed silently as they stood under the overhang of the roof, waiting for the car bearing Integra to come to a stop. An elderly man got out and pulled a wheel chair from the trunk. He helped Integra into it and pushed her up the make shift ramp to the door. Alucard took over from there.

"It's good to be back. I was getting tired of the smell of that damn hospital." Integra said.

"I am glad you are back. He was getting on my nerves." Maria said thumbing in Alucards direction.

He rolled his eyes and proceeded to pick Integra up to carry her up the stairs to the office. Once there, Integra took over her place behind the desk and Maria was more than happy to be sitting on the guest side.

"You did well Maria." Integra said pulling out a cigar.

"Thank you."

"Any leads on Clef?"

"No." Maria's voice was small.

"The bastard has been harder than I thought to track. But we will find him." Alucard said.

"See that you do."

Finally, Maria had some time to relax. After putting on some running shoes and lighter cloths, she was ready to run a few laps around the manor. As she weaved in and out of the trees on the property, she felt some of the stress slip away. Her mind became calm and serine for the first time in a long while. She was resting under a tree when she heard leaves crunching under a heavy boot.

"You aren't very quiet." She commented, not looking up.

"I didn't want to startle you." Alucard said.

"Yeah right. Since when do you care about _not_ giving me a heart attack?"

"Why I'm hurt! I would never wish to do that."

"What ever."

"Why are you always in such a bad mood?"

"Why are you insane?"

They stared at each other for a minute before she turned away. He plopped down beside her and looked to the stars. She followed his gaze and asked the first question that popped into her mind.

"Do you think there is life out there?"

"That's an odd question." He said.

"I wonder sometimes. Was it a strange entity that caused the planets to align in the exact moment of my birth? "

"It's a possibility. "He murmured. "All the planets where aligned?"

"That's what my mother told me. She also said that a strange light emitted from me when I was born. But then again, she also said it was probably a trick of the light at least that is what the nurse said."

"Humans don't like to thing that the paranormal exists so they often try to come up with a more an excuse or normal explanation for something they don't understand." He said.

"So do you think it is possible?" she looked at him through her hair.

"I doubt it. While we are on the topic of philosophy, glass half full or empty?" he asked with a grin.

"Gee nice segwaay." She muttered sarcastically. "It depends on how it started. If it was filled to the top a was emptied, then it is half empty but if it was filled to the half way mark, then it is half full."

"That's an interesting take on life."

She shrugged and continued to gaze at him through her hair. He pretended not to notice. Her face heated up and she looked fully away from him. She knew he could hear her heart pounding. Shacking her head, she stood up and brushed her self off. _Knock it off. He doesn't feel the same way._ She thought. He chuckled mentally at her thoughts and stood to follow her back to the house. **If you only knew.** He thought.

Shortly after they got back, Integra called them into her office. A report had come in of another orphanage being attacked. It was not to far from the one Maria had stayed at and it looked like Clef was there with another group rallied around him. After assuring Integra that it would be alright, she allowed Alucard to Wisk her to the place. She cursed mentally at not having used the gun since their last training session. Alucard shrugged when she voiced this.

"Use other means then." He said.

The battle was fierce. While the children where bloody messes on the floor, the staff where ghouls. It seemed that this place had been very well staffed as Maria had already counted thirty that she had taken down. As soon as one room was cleared, they would head up a flight of stairs and be attacked again. While he was mused, Maria was not and did everything her power not to cry when she saw the mangled corpses of twin boys hanging on the wall.

"I'll kill him for this." She growled.

Her power rocketed up a notch and she let out a burst of energy to ignite the ten energy signals she had focused on. The exploded and the power shook the walls. Alucard glanced at her and saw something that astonished him. Her entire body was wrapped in a blue light and her eyes…they where silver. **A fae! That would explain a lot.** He thought.

"Marvelous!" a voiced called.

Maria vacillated a little when clef emerged from the darkness. But at his taunting look and the fact that he was licking his lips at her, angered her even more. She felt a rush of power enclose her and she pushed with everything she had in her and threw it at him. It hit him with such a force that it threw him through a wall. She bounded after him snarling. Now it was his turn to look afraid. Alucard stood back to watch the girl beat the living crap out of Clef. She pounded him with a fist covered in energy and he spit up blood. Her nails dug into his skin and ripped chunks out of his arms and stomach. With a banshee of a shriek she went for the fatal blow. But he got out of the way just in time. The floor snapped under the weight of the blow and they fell through it. As the ceiling crashed down on her head, all she could think was _damn, I didn't get him. _


	11. Chapter 11

I do not Own Hellsing.

Thank you for all that have reviewed. I do have one small request of my readers. It you add me on to your favorites and such, could you please take 30 seconds to write a review? I need to know what works and what doesn't as I am always trying to improve. Thank you so much.

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Integra was in the hall way of the sick bay looking through the glass at Maria. Alucard had been able to locate her under the rubble and had pulled her to safety. When the units had arrived, they found him sitting on a bench with the girl in his lap. _That much power is remarkable._ Integra mused. It made her wonder if the girl was entirely human. The heart monitor sputtered for a second but then resumed its regular rhythm. Alucard eased himself from the shadows and stood by her side.

"He got away again." He muttered.

"So he did." Integra answered calmly.

After thirty minutes of waiting for Maria to wake up, Integra decided to turn in for the night. Alucard stayed and tried to sort out the thoughts going through his head. The blue glow that emitted from the girl, as well as the silver eyes, was indicative of a fae; other wise known as a fairy. He had been sure that they had died out, but apparently not. He had yet to tell Integra of this new development. He was not sure how she would take it. Maria her self probably didn't know about it. He decided that he would need to do some research before he said or did anything about it. The girl stirred in the bed and he melted through the wall to stand by her side.

Maria opened her eyes to find that she was once again in a hospital. She tried to sit up but cried out in pain. A hand on her shoulder guided her back down and she looked up to see Alucard standing there.

"How long was I out?" she rasped.

"About a day." He said handing her the water cup by her bed.

She drank it gratefully. "What's broken?" she asked pointing to herself.

"Nothing is broken; you just tore a tendon in your back. That will make it difficult for you to walk for a while."

"Wheel chair?" she asked.

"Most likely."

"Damn."

He assured her that it would not be for long, maybe two weeks. She needed to avoid putting strain on it. He told her that she would not be doing any more missions in that time and was confined to the house. Clef was still at large and probably a little more than pissed off at Maria.

"You damaged him pretty good." He said.

"I don't even know where that power came from." She murmured.

He looked at her from the chair he was sitting on and said nothing. At this point, it was best that she not think of such things. Day light was approaching so he bid her adieu before he left for his bed. He melted through the floor until he came to the place he need to be, the library. There was a small section of book devoted to the fae so he gathered them up. Once inside his room, he placed the books on his table and flipped one open to read.

Characteristically, a fae has silver eyes and black hair with flecks of gold in it. This is seen in a pure fae or when a fae takes his or her true form. The most typical type of fae is the wood land species. There is one rare breed among them that only manifests itself when the planets align themselves at the exact moment of a Faes' birth. That is the Dark Ones. These fae have the ability to locate life forces in any thing that once had life and can cause devastation results with a mere flick of will. Among the fae they are feared and shunned. 

"Interesting." He murmured aloud.

Three more books later and he still hadn't learned anymore about the Dark Ones. He was quite confident that Maria was a Dark One. It was also very possible that no one in her family had known what a fae was. But she had to have enough of the faes' blood in her to trigger the transformation. The last book on his table was very old and much worn. He picked it up with care and opened it, careful not to damage the spine. He finally found what he was looking for.

The Dark Ones are much feared in the world of the fae. This type of fae are said to be tainted by the Dark Arts and that black blood flows through their veins. It is said that over a thousand years ago, before man existed, there was a fae by the name of Sherron. Sherron was entranced with the idea of gaining power by use of the dark arts. The village elders feared that he would destroy them all, so they worked day and night to find a solution. Finally, they devised a plan. They would capture Sherron and use an absorption technique to take the powers of Sherron into themselves. This proved to be a fatal mistake. The sixteen elders were consumed by Sherrons power and all fell dead at the exact moment of the planets alignment. From that point on, any fae born at such a time became a Dark One, or a Cursed One. Their powers include Soul Sucking, Ignition of Life, Shadow Charming, Fire Bridging and some can control all the elements provided that it once had life in it. They heal at three times the rate of humans and are immune to all venoms excluding the bite of a vampire. Vampires seem to be the only weakness the Dark ones have. While they can hold their own and possibly kill one in battle, the moment they are caught by the vampires eyes, they are helpless. As to what happens when a Dark One is changed into a vampire is not known as most fall on the knife when this occurs. 

"A Dark one hu? That would explain some things." He said aloud.

He placed the books on the table and decided to get some sleep. He was not sure what to do with this information. He was sure that Integra would not like the information, but so far the girl had proved useful, maybe her reaction would not be so bad.

**The next night. **

"Are you sure?" Integra asked.

He had just filled Integra in on what he had found. She seemed flabbergasted and uncertain. Maria was a wonderful person to have on staff and so far had not been excessively violent. She pondered weather or not to tell the girl. Rubbing her temples, she looked at Alucard and the look on his face said that he had no doubt in his mind about his findings.

"Do we tell her?" she asked lighting a cigar.

"I think that she has a right to know, I am not sure that now is the best time to tell her though." He said.

"Better now than later I suppose. She will want to know why she is healing so fast. The recovery times for a normal human in her condition it about three weeks. She will heal in one week according to the information provided. Its been two days, I am sure her healing process is 40% over with by now."

"Shall you tell her or shall I?" he asked.

"If you don't mind wheeling me down there, we will both tell her. Only two more days in this damn thing and I can walk by my self." She scowled.

Maria stared at them in disbelief. It was a crazy notion, but at the same time, in her heart, she knew it was true. It would explain why she had been set apart from her peers as a child and why she could do the things she could do. She had never preformed a Soul Sucking or a Fire Bridge, but she defiantly had control of life forces.

"What now?" she whispered.

"I don't know." Integra said seriously. "For now, you need to heal. The doctor has been informed of the situation so he will not be surprised when you can walk at the end of the week. As for the powers that have yet to manifest themselves, I have no idea. Alucard?"

"It is certain that they will be known in short time. Maria had already had a partial transformation brought on by her anger. Maybe if she can willing transform from one form to the next, she will be able to control the powers readily when they make themselves known." He said.

"And how do you propose I do that?" Maria asked.

"I'll figure something out." He said with a leer.

That statement was not very comforting. Alucard wheeled Integra back to her office and came back to get Maria. She had gotten her self into her wheel chair with great effort, but could not roll it her self as it would put too much strain on her back. Well, that and it hurt like hell. The doctor said she could return to her room, but would need assistance getting around her room and such. The fact that _he_ had volunteered was not making Maria feel any better about it.

Alucard got her to her room and pushed her into it. It was about midnight and she was feeling sleepy from the drugs in her system. She also wanted a shower as she hadn't had one in three days, unless you count the sponge bath, but she didn't. There was no way in hell that she would ask _him_ to help her though. Just the thought of that made her squirm. Sensing her discomfort he laughed. She threw a book that was laying next to her on a table at him. He caught it and threw it back at her. Luckily for her, she caught it with minimal effort.

"Jerk." She muttered.

"You threw it first." He said.

"If I jumped off a bridge would you do it too?"

"If I got to watch you scream in terror on the way down, yes."

"Jerk." She said again.

The door was opened then and Seras popped in announcing that Integra had sent her up to help Maria get dressed and such. Maria cut off Alucard when he said that he could do it. He just grinned and watched the two go into the bathroom.

"No peeking you pervert." Maria called over her shoulder.

"Now that you have given me the idea…"

"Go to hell." She growled.

After a rather awkward shower and dressing process, Seras wheeled her to her bed. Alucard moved from the shadows and announced that he would take over from here. Seras was uncertain, but Maria sighed her consent. Seras left with a wave leaving them alone. He got her into her bed easily enough but jarred her a little when he set her down. Tears sprang to her eyes and she grabbed his hand for dear life as the colors swam in her vision. A few minutes later the waves past and she was able to clear her head. She still had his hand in a death grip and quickly let it go. He shook it and flexed his fingers.

"Had I been human, you would have broken my hand. You have been holding back my dear."

"Pain and power are two totally different things thank you very much. And I am not your "dear"".

"What would you rather I call you?" he leaned in.

"Maria is fine you dip."

"Dip?" he asked sitting back.

"Dipwad, dumb ass, what would you prefer?"

"Personally I prefer Your Highness or Master, take your pick."

"The day I call you Master or Your Highness is the day hell freezes over." She growled.

"I will hold you to that." he said

That night he left her room laughing. She grumped at him in her mind before she finally fell asleep. Some where in the middle of the night, Alucard slipped back into her room and put a piece of paper on her pillow next to her head. Seras should have never taught him to use the Internet.

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heheheheheheh! What was on that piece of paper you wonder hmmm? You'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out!


	12. Chapter 12

thank you for the reviews!

I do not own Hellsing

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Beep! Beep! Beep! Crash!

Maria threw her alarm clock across the room. It hit the door with an audible thump but continued its excessive beeping. With a sigh, she got up and retrieved it. It was six pm and even though she had slept over twelve hours she was tired. then her eyes widened with shock. She was _standing_ by her self, with out a wheel chair and there was no pain. _What the hell?_ She wondered. How had she healed so fast? It was supposed to be a week long process! Suddenly dizzy, she sat down on her bed. _This is so weird._ She put her hand back and touched a piece of paper. _What is this?_ She picked it up and started laughing. It was a color picture of a street sign. The name of the street was 'Hell' and it was frozen over with ice.

"It doesn't count." She said aloud.

"Why not? Hell froze over."

Alucard stepped from the wall and she nearly fell off the bed. He looked her over with some surprise. _She healed a lot quicker than she should have._ He thought.

"Because it doesn't." she said.

"How do you feel?" he asked, changing the subject to more important matters.

"Good, very good. I am surprised. It has only been hours and not days. I thought it would take longer."

"I thought so too. Apparently the book was not correct."

"Speaking of the book," she turned her gaze on him, "Where are they? I'd like to take a look."

"On Integras' desk so you'll have to ask her if you can read them."

"I'll do that. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get changed."

And with that she shooed him out of her room. He was in front of Integras desk a second later. She listened intently when he told her of Marias quick recovery. As she processed the information, she lit a cigar. Taking a long drag, she exhaled slowly and flipped open the book called "World of Fae" and glanced at the paragraph detailing the abilities of the Dark Ones.

"It seems the author got it wrong." She said.

"So it would seem." He said.

They sat there in silence, each trying to process this information. Alucard had Seras do an internet search on the Dark Ones and Faes, but her search had so far turned up nothing. He had gone through book after book, hoping to find more information, but he too had turned up nothing. Only that one book had details on the Dark Ones, as meager as it was. Integra suddenly sat up right as an idea struck her.

"Alucard, where does the mythology of fairies originate?" she asked her eyes burning with intensity.

"From Ireland during the Celtic times. What ever are you thinking my dear master?" he asked leaning forward.

"Perhaps we have been looking in the wrong places. Ireland may well hold the answers we are seeking."

"May I ask why you want to know so bad?"

"Curiosity I suppose, along with the fact that we have a potentially dangerous being under this roof. I would like to know as much about her kind as possible to… utilize her assets. I also believe that she her self would like to know and she deserves to know. The problem it the money to get there. I have rebuilt some of Hellsings' finical holdings, but they are dwindling fast."

"I can get her there, but it will take a toll out of my energy and I will need to feed after." He grinned when Integra winced. "I can also get money for when she is there. The real questions are, do I stay with her? Or do I come back here? Can Hellsing survive with out me here?"

"I think we will be just fine as we when thirty years with out you. Seras can handle any threats that come up. We also have the help of Section thirteen, even if they don't like our alliance, they will step in. as for you needing to feed…" she trailed off.

"I'll only feed on the bad and hopeless alright? Does that ease your mind Integra?"

"I would feel a little better about that. Alright then, you may leave when ever Maria is ready to go. And Alucard?"

"Yes?" he asked with a grin, already knowing what she was going to say.

"If at all possible, bring her back in the same condition in which she left."

"Yes master."

For Maria, the travel to Ireland was not pleasant. Shortly after being informed that they where leaving, Alucard whisked her away. The coldness of the shadows made her shudder. While he didn't seem to mind, she was having a difficult time holding on to her lunch. They were moving so fast that she had to close her eyes and put her face in his chest so she wouldn't be dizzy. This did not stop the feeling of her body being pulled through the air at a thousand miles per hour. Just as she felt like she was going to hurl for real, they came to a sudden stop. She opened her eyes to the blinding light of the sun. quickly pushing away from him, she wobbled about three feet and threw up what little food she had in her. When the contractions subsided, she turned to find that Alucard was gone. She waited in the area, sitting underneath a tree for almost an hour. _He could have taken me._ She thought.

"If I did that, you would have been throwing up again." He said.

She jumped and placed a hand over her heart. He cackled while she glared at him. He looked reenergized and ready to go, but she held up her hands.

"Can we walk for a little bit before you warp us somewhere else?" she asked.

" I suppose. We would get to the village quicker if I just 'warped' us there." He said.

"How far is it?" she asked standing up.

"About ten miles."

"Let's at least walk for a few before you take us there the fast way. I am still a little queasy."

"Fine."

They walked through the trees, mostly staying in the shade. Maria felt oddly at home and could almost hear the trees talking as the breeze whistled through the leaves. As they walked, she swayed a little with the musical sounds of nature in her ears. He watched her intently and saw a hint of gold in her hair. As they continued walking, it became more prominent and her eyes turned silver. She didn't seem to notice the transformation, so caught up in her own little world. The silver in her eyes faded but the gold remained. After about a mile, he scooped her up with out warning and in the next instant they were standing just thirty feet from the entrance of the town.

"Warn me next time!" she hissed, slapping his chest.

"What fun would that be?"

They argued all the way there but fell silent as they past through the entrance of the town. It had been bustling with life as they had approached it, but as soon as they set foot into it, the people grew silent and stared. Sure, Alucard looked strange dressed in all red and in a jacket in the heat of the day, but Maria look normal enough in jeans and a blue tee shirt. Alucard didn't seem disturbed and walked confidently through the people who parted for them readily. One old man sitting on a bench gasped when they passed.

"Fae…" he whispered.

Before Maria could even turn to talk to him, he bolted in a different direction. Eventually the town came to life again, but the uneasiness was thick in the air. She was miffed by the peoples reaction to them.

"Your hair is golden." Alucard murmured.

"Really? Shoot. I don't know how to change it back." She whispered.

"You didn't even notice it when it changed. I think we are close to finding the answers we seek. The fact that you transformed partially tells me that we are close to your peoples' home land."

He led them to an inn and checked them in. _How'd he get that much money?_ She wondered when he paid for it in cash. He smiled slightly at her and took the brass key from the inn keeper. The old man behind the counter couldn't hand it over fast enough. It seemed Alucard disturbed him more than Maria did, although he did glance her way a few times and she could feel his eyes on her back as they rounded the corner. Their room was on the second floor and they climbed the winding stairs in silence. She had a million questions but she would wait until they were alone to ask them. The room was quite nice. There were two bed rooms on opposite sides of a small sitting room with a couch and TV. The master bedroom had a small bathroom and next to the room in the tiny hall way was another bathroom with a shower and such. Adjacent to the couch was a kitchen slash laundry room with a small washer/dryer combo and a refrigerator on top.

"Where did you get the money for this?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter so don't worry about it."

"Alucard…" she growled.

"Let's just say I did a good deed for the town and was rewarded."

"What?"

"And we will be fine for a while."

"What did you do, rob a bank or something?"

"It doesn't matter. Hush." He said when she tired to protest.

He sat on the couch and pulled the cash out of his pockets. She gasped at how much he had. When she tried to ask him again, he glared at her and told her to shut up.

"Damn it, fine. Where are you going to sleep?"

He quirked an eye brow at this and she groaned at the smile the spread on his face.

"I mean, what about your coffin? Don't you have to sleep in it?"

"I don't have to, I just prefer it. It would have taken to much out of me to bring it along. You can have that room." he said pointing to the master bedroom.

"Thanks, next question, where do we start the search?"

"The old man that ran away from you so quickly may be able to help us."

"What if we can't find him or he doesn't want to talk?"

"I can find him and I have ways of making people talk." He smirked.

"I don't want to hurt the guy or give him nightmares for the rest of his life; I just want to talk to him, sheesh. Why are you always so violent?"

"I find it entertaining."

After resting for an hour, they headed out into town to buy some clothes and to get Maria something to eat. The little shops were still set up and they browsed. Well, Maria browsed and Alucard did his best to intimidate everyone. She grabbed a few pairs of pants and some shirts while Mr. Helpful gave her fashion tips. He had a tight grip on the money so when she needed to get some under garments, she had to take him along. He heckled her the entire way and she felt very self conscious as they entered the bra area. She tried to get him to wait outside it but he laughed at her. She had an ample chest and he teased her about it the entire time.

"Do you do this to Seras?" she huffed.

"I only went shopping with her once, and yes. But your reactions are much better."

"Gee, thanks. Go away."

"No."

After leaving that store he pushed her into a restaurant and asked for a corner booth. They were pretty well hidden. Maria ordered her food and watched the small blond waitress fawn over Alucard. A sudden feeling of jealousy overtook her, but she pushed it back with great effort. He noticed this and chuckled under his breath. Several times during the course of the meal, she stopped by to make sure Alucard was sure he didn't want anything. Twice he pointed out Maria's empty glass and the girl seemed almost angry that she had to fill it. Maria watched the girl pour her drinks to make sure she didn't spit in it or something. Alucard tapped her leg with his foot to get her attention.

"A little edgy are we?"

"No."

He smiled at her obvious lie and continued to flirt with the waitress. Only being yelled at by her boss stopped her from coming over more often. Maria finished her food and he paid for it. In a secluded corner, he stretched out his mind to find the old man from earlier. He located him with ease. He was near by.

"Are you ready?" he asked her.

"As ready as I will ever be. Lets go."


	13. Chapter 13

Thank you so muc for the reviews and keep them up!

I do not own this damn it!

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Maria followed Alucard to a small pub just down the road from the restaurant they had been in. The place reeked of cheep booze and cigarettes. Above the door, the flickering 'open' sign cast an eerie glow on the ground as they passed over the threshold. All talk immediately stopped when they spotted Alucard. He tipped his hat at the bartender and he scowled back.

"Friendly crowd." She muttered.

The old man was sitting in a corner booth nursing a beer and when he spotted Maria, he gave a startled yelp. But he didn't run and that was a good thing, they didn't need another reason for the townspeople to hate them. They walked over and Alucard plunked down in the seat across from him. The poor man began to sweat and Maria felt sorry for him.

"Excuse me sir, I would like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind." Maria stood next to the table and did her best not to scare the man.

"It doesn't look like you're giving me a choice, so you might as well sit down lass." He said. "My name is Sammie by the way."

"Well, Sammie, My name is Maria and d this is Alucard. We saw you earlier, and you whispered something about faes. I know that this may sound odd to you, but could you please tell us what you know about faes?"

"Don't you know? You are obviously one of them missy. A Dark One too."

"I honestly don't know much about my heritage." She said softly.

The talk in the bar had gone back to normal, so they were able to talk as loud as they needed to, but for some reason, both Sammie and Maria felt the need to whisper. So he told her some of the information she already knew and she nodded politely. But then his voice took on a different tone. Fairy's come a wide variety but most had some woodland heritage in them. The trees could speak to them and they could feel the heartbeat of nature all around them. Some were kind and helpful, while others liked to cause mischief and destruction. They controlled the elements of earth, fire, water and wind. But the Dark Ones, they could take control of life forces. With one word, they could obliterate a soul and make it as if the person or thing never existed. They where feared in the world of fae as most followed the wicked way of the one who started it all.

"I will not even utter his name in these parts, it's dangerous you see. Legend has it that he was not completely destroyed but is in his home land, waiting to be set free. Even speaking his name could undo the curse that binds him away. No I wouldn't dare." Sammie said.

"It's okay, really it is. I do have to ask, where is my homeland? Is this it?" Maria whispered.

"This place, oh no. But you are close lass. I am sure you can feel it. Your heart will tell you where it is. I can't give you an exact location, but I would head to the east. That's all I am saying."

"What else do you know of the Dark Ones?" Alucard asked, speaking for the first time.

Sammie shuddered. "Wielders of dark magic, very attune to the dark arts. Can manipulate and seduce even the strongest of man or woman. And, they Fire Bridge."

"What is Fire Bridging?" she asked.

"It is where they take ones life force, control it, and set it on fire causing the person or thing to be set a flame. They can also bridge a fire from hell directly to their victim and give them a very slow and painful death."

Alucard looked at her sideways and grinned. She had already done Fire Bridging with out even knowing it. She was a little shook up over all the information she had been given, but she hid it enough to say good night to Sammie before walking out the door. Alucard lingered long enough to pay for the mans drinks and he followed suit. Maria didn't notice him fall in step with her. _Am I evil?_ She wondered. But her thoughts stopped abruptly when she heard a cry of despair.

"The mayor!" a woman shrieked, "He has been killed! Murdered in cold blood!"

"What?" Maria murmured.

Talk began all around them as people lamented over what a good man he was and how could some one kill him so brutally, take all his money and leave him there to rot. Some people glanced at Maria and Alucard as they stood there and cleared a path for them. They didn't want to be any where near them. Alucard hurried maria back to their hotel room. once in side, she rounded on him.

"What did you do?!"

"I told you, I did a good deed for the town."

"By killing the mayor? Who was a apparently a good man! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"The good man you are referring to was a whore monger who loved to look a kiddie porn and sodamize any boy he could get his hand on. He embezzled the people's money. So don't lecture me young lady." He snarled.

"How do you know all this?"

"I read his mind." he snapped, sitting on the couch.

"Well just lovely! Did you even stop to think how bad this could be on us? We are the new people in town, the suspicion will automatically fall on us!" she stamped her foot on the floor in anger and exasperation.

"Don't act like such a child! They can blame us all they want but they will never find any evidence convicting us so shut up."

She huffed and marched to her room, slamming the door. After a long shower and changing into her pajamas, she walked out to the living room and sat down on the couch. Alucard was not in the room, and that worried her until he popped up out of no where making her squeak out a yelp. He rolled his eyes and shoved a book into her lap before sitting down beside her. He flipped the book open to a paragraph on faes. Most of it was stuff they already knew, but there was a paragraph about faes and vampires.

**While a Fae is immune to most venom, a vampire's venom seems to be the exception. Just one nick of the fang will keep a fae in torment for weeks. Once a fae is bitten, there is no turning back. They will become a vampire with in a few hours time if bitten properly. Vampires seem to be an unnatural attraction for the fae and vice versa. While the fairies, especially the Dark ones, are drawn to the dark prowlness of the vampire, the midean is drawn to the blood with in the veins of a fairy. It is said to be a drug, an intoxicating elixir that can cure a vampire form any form of illness and second death scenarios. Legend holds that vampires often ensnare fairies and cut them to drink from them until they drain them completely. **

"Oh goodie." Maria said.

"It is a curios thing…" Alucard said, his eyes glowing.

"Don't you even dare!" she exclaimed, moving away from him in a flash.

He laughed and shook his head to clear it. "Relax; I am not going to jump you." He said.

"Where did you get this book?" she asked from across the room.

"The book store in this hotel, you can come over here, I am not going to bit you, unless…."

He was suddenly across the room and in her face. She had her back to the wall and no where to go.

"Unless you want me to."

Warmth polled in her belly and the muscles in her stomach jumped. It took all the power she had to shake her head. He pulled away laughing at her obvious plight. He could smell her arousal in the air and the blood pumping to her cheeks as she blushed. A glow surrounded her and her eyes changed to silver. The gold in her hair intensified and he watched in amusement. The fact that her body reacted so heavily to his words made him want to double over with laughter, but he held himself in check. She took a breath to calm her self and willed the glow to leave her. Finally, her eyes returned to their normal color although the gold in her hair insisted on staying.

"My, my, what a reaction we had. You know since virginity is not a factor in you changing…." He began.

"Oh go to hell!" she growled.

"I take it your going to bed alone?" he called to her retreating back.

The door slamming was all the response he got. **How, invigorating.** He thought.


	14. Chapter 14

My life has been going to hell lately so I haven't had time to update. I hope you all understand.

I do not own Hellsing or its characters.

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Maria woke up to a heavy pounding on the front door of the hotel room. She groaned when she saw what time it was. _Who knocks on a door at six in the morning?_ She thought as she got up. Throwing on a bathrobe she made her way to the door. Once she was at it she opened it. The door was smashed into at the exact moment she opened it and she just avoided getting a broken nose.

"What's the big idea?" she shouted.

A short pudgy man in a police uniform pushed her into a wall roughly and hand cuffed her. He ordered the men to find the man. She assumed that they where referring to Alucard. They kicked open the second bedroom door and she heard a grunt of pain as one of them skittered back a few feet clutching his face. Alucard stepped out of his room clad in his normal attire minus the hat, sunglasses and jacket.

"What is going on?" he growled.

The police unit gulped and stepped back. The pudgy man holding on to Maria cleared his throat.

"You two are under investigation for the murder of the Mayor." His voice shook.

"And who is our arresting officer?" Alucard asked with mock politeness.

"I am. Chief Brundy."

"Did you have to assault my pregnant wife?"

Maria started at this but one look at his face kept her silent. The officer apologized for this and uncuffed her.

"I am sorry madam; I didn't know you where with child. We have to take you into the station to ask you both some questions."

"Why can't it be done here?" Alucard asked.

"Protocol." The chief said regaining his composure.

"Fine."

A few hours later they where both seated side by side on the opposite side of the police chief. They only thing between them was a metal table. With a shaky hand he pulled out his note book and pen.

"The first question is directed to you madam. How far along are you?"

"About three months." She lied.

"Okay." He scribbled that down. "Now, where are you to from?"

"England."

"What is your purpose here?"

"We are supernatural investigators looking for information on the faes said to originate not far from here." Alucard said smoothly.

"When did you get into town?" he looked at Maria.

"Yesterday in the late afternoon."

"Do you know that our mayor was murdered Yesterday afternoon?" he asked.

"We found out last night." Alucard said.

"Tell me what happened yesterday. How did you get here and what did you do?"

So Maria said that they flew in on a private helicopter at a location which she could not disclose. They walked for a while looking for supernatural clues and the origins of the fae. They had a reliable source that said that it was not to far from this town. They decided to make this there base while they continued looking for the fairy homeland.

"I guess that sounds crazy…." She trailed off.

"No, you two are not the first we have had and certainly will not be the last. However we have never had a murder in this town before you two came…." He grew quiet at Alucards glair.

"And you assume that since we are new comers that we killed the man? Ridiculous."

"We searched your hotel room and didn't find a weapon. Reports indicate that he was killed with a knife, tore out his throat. But we still have to remain vigilant as you two are our top suspects. We will keep in contact with you."

"What would out motive be?" Maria asked reasonably.

"We haven't figured that out yet." The chief mumbled.

"We will keep in touch. Now my wife and I need some sleep." Alucard grabbed her hand and yanked her up with him.

"Just one more question. Why are you two sleeping in separate rooms?"

"He mad me angry." She answered smoothly.

They where back at the hotel by noon and Maria mad a beeline for her bed. He followed her and she pushed him back.

"No way dude."

"Oh come on _dear._ They said they would be watching."

"No!" she tried to close the door on his face but he passed threw is easily.

He grabbed the front of her bath robe (she didn't have time to change before they where dragged out before) and threw her back. His shadows danced lazily in front of her and she grew angry. She saw red, and the next thing she knew Alucard was pinned to the wall with his own shadows. He laughed and released himself now that her concentration was shot.

"So that is Shadow charming." He mused moving closer to the bed.

"Get away from me." She growled.

"I am not going to rape you so….chill out."

She giggled at the fact that he seemed so disturbed at using new age slang. She was soon laughing at him and she shook his head at her.

"Ya old fogie." She said between giggles.

"Your constant change of emotions is annoying." He said darkly.

"I still say GET OUT!"

"No."

Before she could respond he had her pinned on the mattress. She squirmed beneath him trying to break his hold. His shadows covered her and caressed her in almost a loving way. She gasped when they flickered over her breasts and stomach.

"You want me, just admit it." He said low and seductively.

"N…no." she stuttered out with great effort.

He smirked and nipped at her collar bone. She whimpered and his grin grew. The fight continued for dominance with him winning by a landslide. Each movement she mad aroused him further. It had been so long since he had had a woman and he wanted her now. It didn't take years of experience or age to see that she wanted him too. Her mind was a mess of emotions and he couldn't pick them all apart, but one thing was clear, she wanted him and was afraid to admit it. A deeper push into her mind brought up a memory of a past love that left her for another woman. She didn't want to be a play toy or to be used, so since then she had made a vow to never fall in love again. Her body was still as he probed her mind and she fell into the trance of his eyes. With a groan, he let her go and sat up. She looked at him with some surprise. He just grinned and disappeared from her site. _That was weird. _She thought.

They slept through the rest of the day and when night came, they where both up. Maria stayed silent and skirted around him, much to his amusement. But he didn't say anything, he just watched. After she had eaten the food she had ordered from room service, they headed out. Alucard took the lead and headed to the eastern part of the woods out side the town. The silence stretched between them s they walked. Thoughts ran through her head at a million miles and hour. She should be appalled by what he had done last night, especially after what he had witnessed Clef doing to her. She knew he had pried into her mind and had learned about Mark. She should be angry about this too, but at the same time, it was kind of a relief that some one else knew. It lifted some of the burden off her shoulders.

They reached the out skirts of the town and walked into the woods. She could feel a humming, a vibration of sorts, in her soul. Her body seemed to sway of its own accord and her eyes began to glow. The further they walked the more prominent her fairy features became. Her ears narrowed slightly and her body glowed. This time she noticed the changes and instead of being frightened like she thought she would be, it felt right, and oddly so. He watched her transformation step by step, analyzing her at each turn. She felt his eyes on her but she pretended not to notice. Before she knew it was pitch black.

"What time is it?" she asked softly.

"It's just past midnight." He answered.

Her voice seemed to have taken a lighter melodious timber as compared to her regular voice. Alucard knew that they where close. Just then something whizzed past his head. He started when he saw that it was an arrow. He spun around and drew out his gun. Maria was next to him in an instant. They looked around trying to find there attacker. A hail of arrows greeted them and it took all of the speed they possessed to avoid them. When the hail stopped they heard a loud bout of angry exclamations. When that died down a dark, yet musical voice called out to them.

"State your purpose here vampire."

Before he could speak Maria answered the question.

"He is with me. We, well, we are just hear looking for clues on my heritage. I learned a few days ago that I am a fae."

"What does a Dark One hope to find here?"

"I just told you why we are here. I just want to know about my heritage, that's all."

There was silence and Maria began to sweat. Alucard stood as still as a statue. They waited for a few moments when the voice spoke again.

"We cannot answer your questions. Only her majesty can do that. We will guide you there; however, there is one stipulation."

Maria knew that they wouldn't like the stipulation but agreed to it any way. Next thing she knew, they where covered in darkness.


	15. Chapter 15

Hello People, long time no see! I am back and this is the longest chapter i have ever written so enjoy!

I do not own Hellsing.

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The darkness lasted for a long time as they climbed over hills and walked past trees that they couldn't see. But for some reason, none of this seemed to bother Maria in the slightest. She could feel the vibrations of life al around her from the captives that flanked their sides to the trees and the grass that surrounded them. She could even sense Alucard just a few steps behind her. He was not having any trouble either as his third eye allowed him to see even with the spell clouding their vision. After a few minutes they came to a halt and a voice called out.

"Who goes there?"

"It is I, captain Shneel with two….guests."

"Enter."

Maria felt solid ground under her feet and the spell was recanted. They now stood in a large room adorned with golden arched ceilings that stretched into the sky for miles. Golden pillars where in a neat row leading to a stage like opening with a high backed thrown. The thrown was also gold lined and had rubies glittering in the trim. A white fluffy fabric covered the seat. As they walked down the walk way, a woman appeared and took the thrown. She was absolutely beautiful. Her long blond hair cascaded down her form and stopped just at her feet. Her eyes where the brightest green that Maria had ever seen. They shown like emeralds in the light. Long silver streaks treaded through her hair and her body was incased with a long, flowing green dress. The woman sat down on the thrown and regarded them with a soft yet critical eye.

"Why have you come little dark bringer?" she asked, her musical voice was light but seemed to carry for miles.

"I just learned of my origins. They have been manifesting themselves in a more physical and emotional way. Up until now, I had no idea what I was or where I came from. I was hoping that some questions could be answered." Maria said softly.

The queen regarded her with a critical eye and remained silent for a bit. She observed the girl, her eyes lingering on her form, before looking at Alucard. She shuddered delicately and looked away, although her eyes did linger over him for a moment too long as well.

"Strange company you keep my little dark bringer." Her eyes fixed on Maria again.

"Alucard and I work together in the same agency that exterminates vampires."

"Ah," the queen said with a small, yet sadistic smile, "Dracula. The one vampire that has been made a slave to men and kills his own kind. Yes, I have heard of you and the Hellsing agency. While we have never met the proprietors, we still see them as friends for getting ride of our enemies. What would you like to know my dear?"

"Anything that you can tell me. I…I am not sure what questions to ask really." Maria smiled sheepishly.

"Well, all fairies harmonize with nature, as I am sure you have noticed." Maria nodded at this and the queen continued. "We are a people who do not know age although we can die; it's just so hard to kill us. We may occasionally catch a rare desires but it is not usually the case. We can use the elements to our advantage, such as make it rain or use water for a more…deadly purpose. Plants, air, and the earth can be used the same way. For virtuous acts or for destruction, it just depends on the wieldier. As for you little one, your powers seem to stray to a darker side. You can consume the life force of any one around you and destroy them from the inside out. Dark magic's will come easy for you. I assume that you know about fire bridging and soul sucking as well as shadow enchanting?"

"I learned about them recently, yes."

"Have you used them?"

"Only on ghouls and vampires."

"Hmm. I would also assume that you know what attractions you hold with vampires as well?"

"I was just, recently informed."

"You are more susceptible to them than we are. It is curious that I sense no evil from you. I never thought it possible to find a dark one who had no intentions of using their powers for evil. How old are you?"

Her abrupt change of tone startled Maria a bit and the grin that crossed Alucards face was not helpful. He certainly looked very amused about something. As a matter of fact, he looked like he was on the verge of laughing hysterically. Luckily he was behaving himself.

"I am 19."

"Have you ever taken a lover?"

"I….what….no." she sputtered. Some of the men in the room snickered.

"How would you like to join me tonight?"

"I am sorry….I don't…."

"You are not attracted to woman?" the queen asked, very amused.

"No, s…sorry."

"You'll never know until you try my dear." She held up her hand and smiled when Maria opened her mouth to speak. "But I respect your preference for men. It is a shame, you are a beautiful creature."

"Thanks I think."

Maria knew her face was beat red and the other fairies and Alucard were laughing. Alucard was not roaring as usually so that was a good thing, but he smiled at her from under his wide brimmed hat. She glared at him openly. This made everyone laugh harder. Maria avoided every ones gazes until they had calmed themselves.

"Are you satisfied?" the queen asked, her eyes glowing with pleasure.

"I do have a few more questions. Is the legend about…the man who started my kind true? And are there any, dangerous side effects to using my power? I mean, can I really turn evil?"

The room instantly sobered up and all traces of laughter where gone. The men had grown ridged.

"The Legend of the First Dark One is true. We dare not speak his name you see as it might undo the cures he is under and set him free. As for being evil, you're only as evil as you let your heart be. You have a pure heart, this much I can tell. Just don't allow your anger to cloud your judgment or you may easily slip into the chaotic darkness. That would be a dangerous side effect by the way."

"So be level headed. I can do that." Maria said slowly.

"Yes. Is there anything else I can help you with little dark bringer?"

"No, I think you covered it."

"Feel free to visit us any time. If you would ever like to talk to me in person and can not travel this distance, just stand in front of a mirror and say "I wish to address her majesty." And I will come."

"Thank you for your time." Maria said softly.

"Are you quite sure you will not be joining me tonight?"

"I…I'm sure."

The travel back was short and the captain and his team left them at the edge of the forest. The said there goodbyes and Alucard pushed Maria forward to the village.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" she grumbled as she almost tripped over her feet.

"I'm hungry."

"Don't kill some one high profile alright?"

He didn't respond but grinned at her sideways. She shook her head as the entered the gates. People once again skirted around them like they were the plague. They parted ways at the hotel. Alucard handed her the keys and some money and left to find his dinner. Maria hoped he didn't hurt the poor soul he crossed too much.

She let her self in and got a surprise. The police chief was once again in her room and was currently watching the TV.

"So nice to see you again Maria."

"What are you doing in my room?" she asked a bit miffed at his intrusion.

"I wanted to talk to you. Where is your husband?"

"He went for a walk."

"After a long night of exploring? It is six in the morning; I would have thought you two would be in bed."

"I don't care what he does." Maria snapped.

"Alright, it's none of my business. I came here to tell you that the mayor's neck was reexamined and it seems that a knife was not used to kill him. It looks like some one used their teeth. Like a vampire or something."

"That's crazy." Maria said cursing in her head. "We all know that they don't exist."

"Your husband is a curious man." He stated in a coy manner.

"You think that….Alucard is a vampire? You are insane."

"Am I miss?"

"Yes you are."

"His name backwards is Dracula."

Maria started at this but visibly kept her cool. He was a pretty smart man to have made that connection. But she just smiled at him in a humorous way.

"It's not his fault that his parents named him that. Besides, you have seen him in the day light have you not? Vampires can't walk in the sunlight with out being burned." Maria said.

The chief looked uncertain but agreed with her. They chatted for a bit before he asked her when she was planning on leaving. She said that she was not sure and that she would inform him when she did know. He no longer had any excuses for staying but as he turned to leave ha smiled and said:

"He must have done something very wrong for you to make him sleep in a separate room two times in a row."

And with that he left.

She took a shower after he left and came out of room clad in only a towel. She screeched when she saw _him_ sitting on her bed. He laughed and grabbed her hand when she tried to punch him and used her momentum against her to pull her against his body. He laughed as she struggled to pull her self off of him uttering oaths along the way. In the process, her towel started to slip and she stopped to adjust it better. It was now revealing the tops of her breasts in a mouth watering way. Well, mouthwatering to Alucard. He stopped her hand and sat up with her straddling his waist.

"I like this position better." He said with a smirk.

"Let me go!" she exclaimed.

"I don't think I will. Give into me Maria; we both know you want to."

"No, let me go, please." Her last word was a near sob.

"The pain you suffered in the past can be erased in one hour of my actions. Give in to me."

"No."

She pushed her hands against his chest but could not break the hold he had on her. His frustration grew. He could smell her arousal and it matched his own, why didn't she just admit it?

"I'll be genital if you let me."

"Just stop it!"

"You stop it!" he roared.

Maria froze in fear and closed her eyes, fully expecting him to back hand her now. At least that is the experience she had had with all men prior so she expected noting less from him now. But she gasped in surprise when his hand traveled over her face in an intimate way. Her eyes remained closed as his fingers whispered over her face and traced her eyes, nose and ran lightly over her lips. A few seconds past after his fingers left her face and his lip came in to claim hers. While his kiss was dominating, it was also genital and pleasurable. Her mind spiraled away and al fear seemed to melt away. But in the back of her mind she was telling her self not to give in to him, that he would be just like the rest, he would use and abuse her. Alucard caught that thought and pulled back.

"I don't abuse my women. Not out of anger any way." He said with a check grin.

"You don't know how to love." She snarled.

He felt his anger flair up but he pushed it back. He spoke in a softer tone than before as he told her about Mina. As he spoke, his eyes grew far away. Maria could see that he was telling the truth and that he really had loved the girl, or that he still did.

"I am not a rebound girl." She said quietly. "I can't replace her."

"No one can replace her, "he said slowly, touching her face again, "I know that. And I will always remember and love her. But I am not one to dwell on the past. I'm I angry that she was taken away from me? Yes. Do I mourn her death? Yes. Does part of me wish it could have been different? Yes. I don't expect you to be a rebound girl, nor do I expect this to be a one night stand. Well one day stand I should say."

"What are you saying?" she asked timidly.

"I am saying that all I want right now is you. "

His words where genuine and is startled Maria to tears. Before either of them knew what was happening, she was crying on his shoulder. He sat there and did not say anything. When her sobs subsided she whispered?

"I don't want to get hurt again."

"Neither do I." he stated.

* * *

Lemon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

* * *

He brought her chin up with one gloved hand and kissed her again. This time she did not resist and opened her mouth for him willingly. Her experience was nothing compared to his and she soon found her self a little over her head. He recognized this and changed his rhythm so that she could keep up. But just as she got used to it, he would change it up and leave her floundering. He never stopped kissing her as he changed their positions slowly. Soon he was laying half on top of her and his hands where undoing the towel the rest of the way. Once it as off, he pulled back to look at her form. His arousal grew as his eyes traced her body. It was tinged a slight pinkish hue as she blushed. His heated gaze made her want to squirm with delight. Ever little flaw she had found in her body flew from her mind. The way he looked at her mad her feel like a goddess.

Her hands moved uncertainly to his vest and he made no moved to stop her as she undid it and his tie. Once they where off she moved to his shirt. Her hands where shacking so badly that she was having a hard time undoing the buttons. He chuckled at this and took it off himself. He figured there would be plenty of time for her t clam down and learn to do it properly later, but for now he wanted her too much to wait while she blundered through it.

As he removed his pants, Maria climbed under the covers and crossed her arms over her chest, eyes fixed on the blanket I front of her. She gasped when he grabbed it and yanked it back.

"Don't hide your self from me." He said seductively.

She averted her eyes quickly and he chuckled again. "Look at me."

Hesitantly she did and his grin grew wider as she turned bright red. _My little blushing virgin._ He thought he took off his gloves and set them on the night stand. He sat down on the side of the bed and leaned in to kiss her again. As he kissed her his hands traveled the length of her body slowly until they reached her sex. His finger flicker over her clit and she gasped in his mouth. He kissed her deeper as he plunged his fingers in. pumping them in and out slowly he felt her body begin to tremble. It wouldn't be long before she had her first release. A few more deep strokes later, she cried out.

"See," he said in a teasing manner, "That didn't hurt at all."

She blushed a deeper shade of red as he laughed. He licked his fingers and chuckled at the way she crinkled her nose at him. He then pushed her further into the mattress with his body fully against hers. He kissed her again and her fingers entwined themselves in his hair. He spread her legs wider and positioned him self. He broke the kiss long enough to say"

"This will hurt a little."

And plunged myself into her. She cried out in his mouth. He held her as her body adjusted to his and then began to move. He pace was slow, methodical and almost calculating. He moved in a few different rhythms before he found the one that she liked the best. He increased his force and tempo. She moaned and began to move with him. He watched her as her face contorted into a look of utter ecstasy. Her soft gasps and moans made him want to finish it for her right then and there, but he wanted her to enjoy it and not regret her decision to give in to him. He wasn't that far from the end himself but he held back as long as he could. Finally, he knew that he would not be able to take it for much longer and reached down to rub her clit with his thumb. Her hips jerked at the contact and her nails raked across his back. They came together, each ones cries muffled by the soul scorching kiss they shared at the end.

Soon after, they where lying in bed together, with her head propped on his chest and his propped up by pillows.

"What do the signs mean on your hands and gloves?" she asked.

"It is the curse by which I am bound to the Hellsing family until the bond is broken." He said.

"Do you have to wear the gloves?" she asked.

"Would you rather I didn't?" he asked coyly.

"No nothing like that, I was just curious."

"I don't have to wear them."

"Oh." Was all she said.

Not long after this brief conversation, Maria felt the sleep of sound love making over took her. She was asleep with in minutes. Alucard was not that far behind her, and as he drifted off, he had a small smile on his face.

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Push the review button!!!!!!!!!

Lol i hope you like it!


	16. Chapter 16

Here's the up date, thank you to all who reviewed. I do not own Hellsing.

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_Ahhh, _Maria thought after she opened her eyes, _the infamous morning after._

Though, when she really thought about it she had never had a morning after encounter. The men she had been with in the past where always gone when she woke up. And this wasn't technically the morning after, more like the night of the day…confusing. She sat up and stretched. Underneath her, Alucard shifted in his sleep. She looked down at him and marveled in the fact that he looked so…well, innocent in his sleep. The façade he put up all day was gone. It was like she was seeing the real him under all the cocky assertiveness. As she started to get out of bed, he woke up. But she didn't notice as she was occupied with thoughts of getting dressed. So when he grabbed her around the middle and pulled her back into bed she gave a startled yelp. He laughed at her and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings."

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" she retorted.

"Trying to sneak away?"

"I was going to take a shower and get ready. Don't we have to get back to Integra soon?"

"Are you certain that you know everything that you need to know?" he asked.

"I should think so, if I have any questions I can just call the queen and ask." She said.

As she tried to leave, his grip on her tightened. She looked back and cocked an eyebrow. He grinned and in one swift move picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. She was startled at first so she didn't move, but after a moment, she hit him with a flat hand on the chest.

"Warn me next time."

"What fun would that be?" he asked.

This conversation felt very familiar. She shook her head and yelped again when he dropped her on the floor of the bathroom.

"Jerk." She muttered.

He ignored her jibe and turned on the shower. She realized he was going to shower with her and blushed. That did not go unnoticed by him and he grinned wider. She rolled her eyes at him and stood up in a huff. He followed her in and the glass door was closed. The warm water hit her and it felt nice. She was still a bit achy from last night. He had been gentle with her, but it had been a long time for her. His hands shot out and grabbed her hips, pulling her back against him. She nearly tripped when he did this and this made him chuckle. He spun her around so that she was flush against him . then his mouth came to claim hers. She shuddered at the shocking intimacy of the kiss. It felt like her whole body was burning up. Her hands skimmed up his chest and her finger tips brushed his nipples. He stifled a groan.

All she had done was brush his skin and he felt utterly consumed by lust. Well, no better antidote then the poison, so he cupped her hips and began to rock his hips against hers. It was her turn to moan. But he wanted more that just to touch her, he wanted to be inside her. Their height difference was a little problem though as she barley reached his mid chest, but he could make up for that. He picked her up easily and lowered her in to him. She gave a tiny cry when he entered her. His kisses descended to her neck and he pumped his hips. Her fingers entwined themselves in his hair and her gasps where a bit louder. Her hips began to rock with him in his time, but he needed to be able to take her deeper so he got to his knees and laid her down in the tub. The water streamed over them as he moved and her head was twisted to the side as the pressure built. She opened her legs as wide as she could so that he could plunge as deep as he wanted. Her nails raked across his back and he growled in pleasure. Closer. Closer… and boom, it hit her like a whirl wind. Her voice echoed off the walls and seconds later, so did his.

A few minutes later, they actually got around to washing themselves. Well, mostly washing each other but Maria decided maybe that had been a bad idea as he began to harden against her again.

"Are you just a sex maniac or what?" she asked.

"Hmm, what about you, you're not protesting." He grinned.

"I am not going to be able to walk if you keep this up. I can only handle so much."

His hands grabbed the towel out of hers and threw it to the ground.

"Let's see how much you can handle."

Her verbal warning was cut off when he swiftly pushed her against the wall. But instead of taking her right then, he scattered kisses all over her face and moved down her body. He suckled, licked and nipped her skin until he was on his knees. His tongue flickered out and ran over the sensitive nub between her legs. She gasped and her hips jerked in surprise. Now this was not something she had experienced before. He recognized that and ran his tongue over it slowly, to make it last. She was panting in a matter of seconds. He then suckled her and she cried out when the orgasm took her. But even after it had subsided, he didn't stop. _Is he going to make me come again?_ She wondered. Her question was answered when he pulled her legs on his shoulders so the only the wall against her back was holding her up. This gave him better access. Her second orgasm hit shortly after.

"Touch me." He said, more of a demand than a request.

He lowered her to the ground so that she was on her knees in front of him. Shyly, she reached her hand down and touched him. His body jerked

"More." He growled.

Her hand closed around his shaft and he closed his eyes as she tenderly squeezed and released. Although she didn't really know what she was doing, she could tell that he liked it and upped her pace. He shuddered violently. It wasn't long before he reached his climax. As he was gathering himself, there came a knock at the front door of the room. Maria was startled, but Alucard growled.

"It's the police again." He muttered.

They got dressed quickly and Maria answered the door. Chief Brundy was standing there with a small smile on his lips.

"Can I help you?" she asked politely.

He gestured behind him to a big burly man hidden underneath a cloak. Something was familiar about the man but she couldn't see his face to figure it out. But in the bed room, Alucard froze in the process of packing Maria's stuff into a bag. His roar could be heard through the entire hotel, and he had the hooded man up against the wall in an instant. The chief did not seem the least bit frightened about this and grabbed Maria around the middle and pointed a gun to her head. Alucard froze.

"Be a good man and put Clef Down." He said.

So that's who the hooded man was. Then that meant that…Chief Brundy knew who they where all along. Crap. She couldn't fathom what they wanted. Well she knew what Clef wanted, but not what the Chief wanted. But it seemed that he picked up on her scattered thoughts.

"I was promised eternal life if I helped Clef." He said with a sneer.

Alucard set Clef down and in the blink of an eye threw Brundy across the room. He then rounded on Clef who was advancing on Maria. The two squared off. Alucard was careful to keep Maria behind him at all times. After a few minutes of it, Maria was exasperated. Were they going to attack each other or nor? Clef suddenly lunged and Maria yelped when his hands ripped right through Alucard's middle.. He laughed triumphantly when Alucard fell to the floor. Obviously, Clef had not done his homework. Alucard would be up and ready in no time. But even though Maria knew this, it didn't stop her from being worried when the monster grabbed her upper arms and hoisted her into the air.

"You are mine!" he snarled.

"I don't think so." She responded.

She kneed him in the groin and when he was doubled over, she kicked him under the chin. He hit the wall with a thud and she leapt again. Out of nowhere, Alucard caught her in mid flight and yanked her back.

"You fool! That's what he wanted you to do."

Clef started laughing. Smoke filled the room and when it cleared, he was gone. At this point, Brundy was just waking up. Alucard was in his face in two strides, his fangs gleaming. The man gulped. Alucard was beyond words at this point and hoisted the man up.

"Alucard!" Maria exclaimed.

"What?" he growled.

"If you kill him here, the police will know it was us and will come after us. Lets get away from here first." She said.

Even through his anger he could see the logic in her words and knocked the man out. Quickly, Maria gathered the few things they had bought and grabbed his arm. He transported them to the woods where they had first been when they arrived in Scotland. With out further ado, Alucard ripped Brudys throat out. Maria shuddered and looked away.

"It's done." He muttered. "Grab hold."

She was swept up in his arms and the teleportation began. She closed her eyes and turned her face to his chest. The tugging sensation grew and made her feel sick. With in a few minutes of transporting they where standing in front of a startled Integra. She recovered quickly though and barked at them to make their report.

"She will tell you." He growled, disappearing on the spot.

Integra looked at her expectantly. So she told her the readers digest version, leaving out the more…intimate parts. Integra was silent for a time, thinking.

"So you are no threat to this organization. It seems you abilities will be more useful than anything. I had wished that I had a way to get in contact with you two…I knew that Clef was heading your way by the reports the solders gave me. I am just glad that nothing came of it." She said.

"Me too."

"There is nothing for you to do tonight; it has been fairly quiet of late. Would you mind checking on Alucard for me?" Integra asked.

"Sure."

A few minutes later, Maria was knocking on his door. She got no response. She tried again, and still no answer. Hesitantly, she pushed open the door to reveal a long flight of stairs. She called out his name and received a grunt in response.

"I'm coming down." She called as she descended the steps.

He was sitting on his thrown, with his eyes covered by his hat and his head propped up by his hand. He was stock still. She got close enough that their feet where touching. She tapped his boots with her shoe and he did nothing. So she reached over to pull off his hat and he snapped up so fast that she tripped over her feet in the process of intuitionally backing up. She hit the ground hard.

"Damn it!" she yelled.

He chuckled, but said nothing.

"What is wrong with you?" she demanded.

"That man was another vampire's puppet and I didn't even sense it. Either my senses have gone bad or Clef is a master at concealing things and if so, we are in a lot more trouble than I thought. If I can feel him, he could be anywhere at any time."

"Oh." Was all she could think to say.

"So what happens now?" he asked, looking at her over the rim of his glasses.

"What do you mean?"

"With…us."

"I still don't get it. I don't see why being here changes anything."

He chuckled. "Good to know."

"Okay your noslogic crap is freaking me out dude."

He just shrugged. She threw up her hands in frustration and turned to leave. He didn't follow her but she could feel his eyes on her when she left his room and made her way outside. Seras greeted her by the pool.

"Hey how was the trip?" she asked.

"It was fine. I got my answers."

She hadn't known Seras very long but she knew that Seras had known Alucard for far longer than she had. She wondered if the girl understood him any more than she did.

"Nope." She said when Maria asked. "He is a hard man to figure out."

"Perfect."

Maria spent the rest of the night talking to Seras, helping Integra file papers and reading. All in all, she was incredibly board. But that was a good thing; boredom meant that Clef wasn't around to cause mayhem in her life. Dawn was fast approaching when she walked into her room.

"What are you doing?" a voice asked.

"Shoot!" she exclaimed whirling around.

"Alucard you jerk!"

"You are not staying here alone." He said.

"Well, then stay I guess." She muttered going through her drawers.

"You're coming with me." He said.

"No I'm not."

He didn't really give her a choice. In the end she was laying in his coffin next to him._ Over protective git. _She thought as she drifted off to sleep_. _


	17. Chapter 17

long chapter, I hope you like it. i am sorry it took so long to write i have been very busy of late.

I do not own Helsing

* * *

After she had untangled her self from Alucard and gotten out of that damn coffin, she walked to her room. The house hold was silent as usual and she did not encounter anyone in the hall ways. So when she arrived at her room, she felt the Impending anxiety die down. She really didn't want to be known as the "vampire's girl". She got little respect around her as it was. Although she hardly interacted with the Helsing soldiers, they seemed to dislike her for the fact that Alucard had always shown an interest in her. It could also be the fact that she wasn't human. Word of that had spread fast. She wondered if the men had bugged Sir Integra's office because they always seemed to know things they where not supposed to. They called her fairy girl behind her back, when they thought she couldn't hear them. After taking a shower and getting dressed, she headed to Integra's office.

As soon as she arrived, Integra put her to work. The knight was swamped with paperwork and calls. Apparently, during the day, a vampire attack was staged in Dublin Ireland. Although they had little to no jurisdiction there, the Section thirteen wanted them to take responsibility as it was their vampire causing the trouble. Meaning Clef. How he could have pulled off a daylight murder was anyone's guess. Integra was beside her self with anger. She kept yelling at the people who called her asking them how she could possibly be responsible for this and so on. Maria sat there on the opposite side of the desk going through the paperwork and sorting it in to the important, non important and look at immediately piles. Her mind was lost in thought. _How could Clef have attacked people in broad day light and how the hell did they know it was him?_ Those questions would be answered after the storm had died down and Integra had a chance to breathe.

She felt rather than heard Alucard enter the room. He stood beside her, looking at his master with some amusement. Finally, Integra threw the phone into the nearest wall and slammed her hands down on the s desk in frustration.

"Stressful day master?" Alucard purred in obvious amusement.

"Clef attacked an orphanage in Dublin. Damn Vatican has been on my case about it all day saying that it is my mess s to clean up. How the hell did they know we were hunting him? Sometimes I wonder if this room is bugged." Integra lit up her cigar.

"Freaky. I had that same though on the way here, you might want to have the technology department do a sweep. As for Clef, how in the hell did he stage a daylight attack and how do they know it was him?" Maria asked.

"I have no idea how he did it in daylight, I also have no idea how they think it is him…it is his MO but still…." Integra trailed off and rubbed her temples.

"He is old…not as old as me but old enough that sunlight doesn't effect him as badly as it does a younger vampire. The only reason I with stand it completely is the modifications that Helsing made on me. Had I been left to my own devices, in a few hundred years I would be all but immune." Alucard said.

"So do they want us to go there and take him out?" Maria asked.

"I don't know what they want us to do. They don't want us on their soil, but the monster is our problem. once they make up their minds…no by then it will be too late. We'll move immediately."

Integra picked up the phone she had thrown across the room, plugged it back in and called for a chopper to be ready in fifteen minutes. She directed them to get ready and be on the helicopter pad in ten minutes. Precisely ten minutes later they were standing on the pad waiting for the chopper to be ready.

"Find this beast and kill him once and for all." Integra ordered.

"Yes master." Alucard said with a mock bow.

As they watched the ground get smaller underneath them, Maria wondered what the night would hold. She felt panicky, sick almost, like butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. Something bad was going to happen tonight in Dublin…she just didn't know what. She voiced this to Alucard and sat there thoughtful.

"have you ever had these feelings before?" he asked.

"Once or twice before. They always have some truth in them."

"hmm."

The rest of the ride was in silence. As soon as they landed in front of the orphanage, they took off into the building. There was no trace of Clef except a fading energy signature. The bodies had been removed and all that remind was bloody stains on the carpet and walls. After the search through the inside was fruitless, they headed to the grounds around it. Alucard took off in one direction and Maria in the other. The circled the area and met in the middle.

"Nothing?" she asked.

"Not a damn thing."

"Damn."

The bushes to their right that were leaning against the building moved. They both trained their guns at it. when a cat sprang out of it, Maria sighed. But her frustration was short lived as the air around them began to cackle with power. One second they were standing, and the next Maria was hurled through the air. Her back slammed against the side of the building and her teeth clattered together. Damn that had hurt! A growl filled the air and she looked up to see Alucard having a stand off with Clef. Her breath caught in her throat when they lunged at each other. Slam1 Crunch! Snap! They were hitting each other, not bothering to use weapons and it seemed like Alucard had the upper hand. Around and around their fists flew and their legs were a burr of powerful kicks. Neither one was bothering to block, this was a full out brawl. If Maria had been able to feel her legs, she would have jumped in to help. But something was wrong. From her waist down had no feeling. _I didn't hit the wall that hard did I? _ She wondered. But when she tried to move, she reeled with pain she had never felt before. But pain was good, it meant that her spin wasn't severed, it just hurt a lot. Try as she might, she could not stand so she had to just sit there, helpless as they fought.

They say that one moment can change everything. That saying was very correct in this case. Alucard did something he didn't do very often…he made a mistake. He fell for his opposites feint to the left and ended up taking a powerful blow to the side. He stumbled and fell. Maria couldn't believe it when he didn't get up again. Then she saw the foreign object sticking out of his side. It look like an enormous spear. There was some sort of ancient writing on it. when he still didn't move even after she called his name. she knew she had no choice but to run. But her legs would not cooperate.

"You will heal quickly," Clef said as he advanced on her, " but no quick enough I am afraid."

His mouth split into a wide grin. She had nowhere to run or hid. He snatched her up and she cried out in pain.

"You're coming with me." He told her.

A portal opened up and as they passed through it, Maria called out to Alucard again…but he didn't stir. A heavy blow was landed on her face and she slipped into darkness.

When she woke up she could feel the vibrations of nature around her and she recognized where she was…Scotland…the home of her ancestors. She could feel that she was about twenty miles away from their base. She moved and felt a twinge of pain, but it was not as bad as last time. But she still couldn't move. Her hands were tied behind her back. Then it dawned on her where she was. It was a graveyard and she was tied to a grave stone. It was a strange grave yard as the surrounding area was trees, there was no fence, no signs and no watch stations or buildings. It was like this place had been long forgotten by mankind. She shivered.

She could hear no movements around her which meant that she was alone for the time being but she had no idea how long that would last. Her eyes strained to see what was engraved on the stones. But she couldn't understand the language it had been written in. she could see that there were sixteen of them in front of her. She thought for a minute them gasped when she remembered what the book had said.

. Sherron was entranced with the idea of gaining power by use of the dark arts. The village elders feared that he would destroy them all, so they worked day and night to find a solution. Finally, they devised a plan. They would capture Sherron and use an absorption technique to take the powers of Sherron into themselves. This proved to be a fatal mistake. The sixteen elders were consumed by Sherrons power and all fell dead at the exact moment of the planets alignment.

Was she really sitting on the grave of Sherron? There was no way she could turn and check. A sound of leaves being crunched underfoot reached her ears. Clef came out of the trees with a smile.

"have you figured it out yet?" he asked softly.

"Why am I here?"

"To release the Master." He said in a low hiss.

Before she could speak, he told her to shut up and listen. Then he opened his mouth and began to speak.

"Many years ago….when Fairies walked freely through these parts, I was a small boy, eleven years of age. My father was one of the Sixteen counsel members and as his son I was expected to raise to his level. I always resented the old man. He thought he was better than anyone alive. He beat my mother and I on a daily basis and no one helped us. They didn't even bat and eye when he did it in front of the town. He was an elder so he could do what ever the hell he pleased. If he wanted to disembowel me in the center of the village he could do it with out repercussion. I hated him with a passion…and when he killed my mother, I lost everything. She was all I had to keep me going. It was then that I sought revenge.

I was only thirteen at the time my mother died, so I had no idea how I could take on my father…one of the most powerful fae alive. But then I met Him. My Master took me under his wing and taught me the dark arts he was practicing. I grew stronger and stronger and by the time I reached eighteen, was a force to be reckoned with. But I hid it well as I knew that dark arts was forbidden. My master asked me to stay put where is was. He would over throw the old bastards and take over the kingdom. All I had to do was wait.

That night came and he called me by his side. He was fighting against the Elders. His powers were fierce, but they held up better than he had expected. I arrived just in time to see him fall to the ground writhing in agony. My fathers and the rest of the elders died quickly…at the exact moment of the planets alignment. I ran to his side and offered my help. He told me that there was something I could do. He said, "The next time a female is born under the alignment of the planets, bring her to me. Only after she utters my name can I be free from this spell." I said "master, let me say it!" but he said that only one who born of his curse could free him. So, I have searched all this time and have finally found a Dark One I was able to catch. So all I need from you is to say his name."

"How are you a vampire? If you are fae…" she trailed off.

"I was bitten shortly after this incident. But I wanted to be changed. I am far more powerful now than I ever was as a fae. It was a tricky change as most fairies die in the transformation, but my love for my master kept me going. Now, no more stalling….say his name."

"never!"

"Say it or I'll show you the meaning of pain!" he barked.

Maria closed her mouth in defiance. When a blade appeared in his hand her eyes widened.

"I can't cut off any body parts because the mater wants you whole. I can, however, maim you as I please because of your healing abilities."

He began to cut her face, her neck, her arms, slowly and deeply. She managed not to scream out loud as the blade sliced through her skin. In her mind she called out to Alucard to help her, but she no longer felt his presence. Had Clef really killed him? It couldn't be…

The pain was horrible when he moved from cutting her to burring her with his lighter. Her skin sizzled and she could smell her flesh burning. She did scream then. Her voice carried through the forest. She began to struggle as he heated up the knife and stabbed her with it in various places, missing the vital organs but defiantly causing damage. He broke her arm and legs, he even gouged out her eye. But she healed quickly, as she always did and he would repeat the process. It got to a point where it was too much to bear. But she could not and would not utter the name. hours passed and the sun began to rise. He hissed when the first rays hit him and backed off into the shadows.

"I hate the sun,," he muttered, "I'll be back tonight to finish what we started."

And with that threat, he left her alone. Her body was tired, she was hungry so she slept. A few times during the day she woke up to the blinding sunlight but forced herself to fall back asleep. The wounds had healed, but the hunger was terrible as well as the thirst. In her sleep she at least didn't have to feel it.

She knew it was night even before she opened her eyes. Clef was back and she could hear him sharpening a knife. She knew that he knew she as awake but she closed her eyes any way. It was a long night and when the sun came up he didn't leave. He kept cutting and stabbing and burring. Her body was covered with dried and fresh blood. When night fell again, her screams were so loud, she was surprised that no one heard her. When the moon was high above her head, she finally gave in….she couldn't take any more.

"Sherron." She whispered.

A bright light emitted from the grave she was sitting on and an electrical storm graced the sky with flashes of purple lighting. Darkness swirled around her and she shut her eyes. It was over as quickly as it happened and a tall man with amber eyes and long silver hair stood before her, looking down at her with a smirk on his face.

"I see she gave you trouble." Sherron said in a deeply musical voice.

"Yes Master." Clef said with a gleam in his eye.

"well done my servant, even covered in blood I can see that she is beautiful. ."

He snapped his fingers and the binds that held her fell to the ground. But she was in too much pain to move. He knelt before her and reached out his hand, only to pull it back with a hiss. An arrow was sticking out of his arm. Just then a trumpet sounded and the area was instantly filled with fae. Shneell was standing there in full battle armor, as was the queen herself. Sherron smiled at her.

"To what do I owe this honor your majesty?" he asked with a mock bow.

"This time there will be no spell monster, we will destroy you until there is nothing left but ash." She hissed.

He threw back his head and laughed. Gripping the arrow, he yanked it out of him and healed instantly.

"I'd like to see you try. How did you know I was free?"

"We had an informant." She glared at Clef. "You betray your people not only by becoming a vampire, but by uttering his name?" she hissed.

"I didn't say his name, she did." He pointed at Maria.

The queen took in Marias bloody appearance, the healing wounds, the lighter and blade by her side and growled.

"To add insult to the injury you have caused on your people, you torturer your own?"

Her power cackled in the air. Sherron sneered and unleashed his own power, protecting his servant from the blow. They faced off, never speaking, just blasting power at each other. The ground was shaking. Maria was too hurt to move out of the way. A hooded figure whipped around the queen and snatch Maria up. Once she was safely behind the line of fire, the fight intensified. The sky began to rumble as the electrical storm made its appearance. She clung to the hooded figure with all her might. . then the power surges stopped and Sherron laughed.

"have you decided to call it quits?"

"We are equally matched." The queen said coldly.

"never." He snarled.

The queen only smiled and held up a spear. Maria recognized it. it was the spear that Alucard had been stabbed with. Sherron shuddered.

"Any thing with dark power will be killed when this pierces their skin, unless they receive an antidote for its poison."

"Maria shuddered at the queens words. Did that mean that Alucard was dead? And how did the queen get that spear? A tear fell down her face. The hooded figure brushed his hand against her face to calm her. But it was no use, she fell to her knees right then and there.

"I am not leaving with out the girl!" Sherron growled.

"She is not yours!" the queen countered.

Sherron looked uneasily at the spear and gritted his teeth.

"I'll leave for now."

In a swirl of smoke he and Clef were gone. The queen turned back to her men and told them to secure the area. Every one except the queen, the hooded man and Maria herself moved. A warm hand closed over hers and Maria looked up.

"Fear not," the queen whispered, "your man is alive….well as a as he can be."

The hooded man knelt beside her and flipped back his hood. Maria ignored the pain and leapt into Alucard's arms.

"How?" she stuttered.

" I summoned her through a mirror I had handy." Alucard said. " I regain awareness long enough to contact her, tell her what happened and to pass out again."

"Thank goodness." Maria said happily.

"Don't be too happy child, Sherron is loose and will come after you. Since you set him free, he wants you. " the queen warned.

"I'll keep her safe…now that you have the spear." Alucard said.

"See that you do, if he get his hands on her we will be in trouble, I'll explain later, the girl needs rest. "

Alucard didn't question her just picked Maria up and took them back to England. Integra looked up at them in surprise then concern when she saw Maria.

"I'll explain later, she needs to get cleaned up and rest." Alucard said.

She raised an eyebrow at his attire but nodded her consent. Maria felt the water on her skin, the blood washed off and her hair cleaned. She felt a towel dry her and her hair was combed. She felt her self being put into bed, but as soon as her head hit the pillow, she felt nothing but sleep.


End file.
